


A Gradual Development

by senpai_actually



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Romance, Roommates, and they were ROOMMATES
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:34:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 110,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24459793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/senpai_actually/pseuds/senpai_actually
Summary: Eren is looking for a new roommate, and Hanji said that her short friend would be a great candidate.
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 291
Kudos: 580





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! With all the sad things going on in the world, with the pandemic and American protests happening, I wanted to provide some light. This story will have minimal to no angst, a lot of fluff and romance, and hopefully will make you smile. Please don't hesitate to reach out! Additionally, I had this draft saved for literal years, and initially wrote it in first person before deciding to switch to third, so my apologies for any errors I have made! Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

He jotted down a few notes before clicking his pen and placing it in its holder. Eren looked up at the young girl and raised two fingers up to his forehead before slightly waving them.

“I’ll see you next week, okay? Remember to enjoy your summer break!”

“Thank you, Eren.”

Eren got up and opened the door for the young girl as she shyly waved back with a small smile, walking out of his office. Afterward, he walked back to his desk and sat down on his chair, tugging on his red tie to loosen it before leaning back and stretching his arms out wide.

The young girl was Eren’s last patient for the day, and he was happy to hear that she was starting to lose the amount of stress that her school year had built upon her. As a clinical psychologist, it was his job to help those who are struggling to live a normal life and help identify the solutions they need to overcome such challenges. He also had a PhD and liked to boast about it to some of his friends (particularly, a horse).

Eren was about to gather up a few papers scattered across his desk when a brown-haired woman busted through his door -literally - and ran to his desk. He screamed in a high-pitch noise and grabbed the tennis racket that he always kept behind his desk before realizing who the intruder was.

“Hanji!” He groaned. “That was the third time this month that you broke my door!”

Hanji Zoe, his employer, only grinned widely as she sat down on the olive loveseat in Eren’s office, stretching her body across the couch.

“Considering I am the ruler of this section of the building, I say that it’s a-okay!”

Hanji laughed as she twirled a strand of her hair with her index finger, looking around the office. Eren had a few paintings scattered around the wall, presenting a home-like vibe to his office. There was a grey beanbag chair at one corner of the room, next to a small black table with a picture of the beach. She glanced at the ceiling, where she had stuck a small picture of herself sticking her tongue out. It hadn’t been taken down yet and had been there for a week, meaning that Eren still didn’t notice. Hanji stifled a laugh before turning to Eren, who had cleared out his desk and crossed his arms.

“You still broke my door!”

Hanji laughed as she looked over at him, her eyes twinkling behind her glasses. Eren couldn’t help but smile in return. She was such a sweet and friendly person, and although she can be a handful, Eren would not want to work for anyone else.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get it fixed. By the way, did you forget about my short friend? He’s waiting at Papa Arlet’s place.”

Short friend?

Eren’s eyes widened at that statement.

_I forgot that I was going to meet Hanji’s friend today._

Eren had been looking for a new roommate for a few months now, and he had yet to find a decent person that he found suitable to live with. Hanji had talked about her friend for a bit, and he sounded decent to Eren, which Eren didn’t want to lose.

Quickly gathering his stuff, Eren thanked Hanji for reminding him and stormed out of the office before heading into the elevator, hearing a faint but cheerful farewell from Hanji. As the elevator doors closed, he took the time to catch his breath.

Eren was looking for a potential roommate just to accompany him. He didn’t have problems paying the bills; he was just lonely. He played around with the thought of getting a pet, but he never really got a chance to dive deep into it, and he could communicate better to a human.

Hanji mentioned a friend coming back from France, who was looking for a place to crash. For the time being, he was staying at Hanji’s place, where he kept complaining about Hanji’s cluttered rooms and how her hamsters kept running on the squeaking wheels. Hanji didn’t want to get rid of her babies, and when she heard Eren mention a roommate search one random afternoon, she suggested her friend.

The elevator reached the ground floor, and Eren tugged on his bag and waved at the receptionist before walking out and briskly heading to his friend’s grandfather’s cafe.

Armin, his long-time best friend, has a grandfather who many called Papa Arlet. Papa Arlet owned a combo of a cafe and bookstore to combine his love for food and Armin’s love for books. He was the fatherly figure that Eren needed after his parents passed away in a car accident, and took care of both Eren and his adopted sister, Mikasa, along with Armin. The three of them all grew up and lived in their own places, but they never forget to visit the cafe and give their greetings to the wonderful man.

Eren smiled at the thought before he walked down the street, loosening his tie more before popping off a few buttons of his shirt. It was the start of the summer, and Eren could feel the sweat building upon his torso.

Within a few minutes, he opened the cafe door and immediately took in the air conditioning and smell of croissants and ice cream. It was around 5:15pm, and the place was in its transition between whatever happens between lunch and dinner to dinner time. Armin’s grandfather looked up and waved at Eren before scooping vanilla ice cream into a cone for a little boy. Eren smiled back, inhaled the scent of Papa Arlet’s food, and looked around for Hanji’s friend.

_“Listen, Eren,” Hanji demanded. Eren nodded._

_“My buddy is Levi, and he’s short but pretty damn hot and mysterious looking.”_

_Eren looked at Hanji before realizing she wasn’t going to say more._

_“Um, Hanji, is that it?”_

_“No, he's pretty short. Maybe like, the average height for a woman,” snickered Hanji._

Apparently, Eren would know who he was once he saw him, according to Hanji. He sighed and scratched his head as he looked around for a short man. There was no way Eren would be able to find Hanji’s friend at first glance, but then his eyes landed at a table in the back corner of the cafe next to a window.

A man, who did look short, glared at his laptop screen as he typed whatever before taking a sip of his drink, holding it by the rim. The man had an undercut, which Eren typically didn't like but it really suited him. His hair was black, but slightly shined with the sun’s rays. He had sharp facial features, and his eyes were a combination of grey and blue. When the sun shone on him, his eyes appeared bluer. He wore a rolled-up white collared shirt with black slacks, and his facial expression was very stoic, but somehow, it made him appear hotter to Eren. It almost gave off a no-fucks-given attitude, but it made Eren intrigued.

_Well, maybe that was easier than I thought. I hope._

Eren stood there for a few minutes, internally debating on whether he should approach the man or not. What if the man was hotter and this was not Hanji’s friend.

 _There is no way anyone can be hotter_ , Eren thought to himself. There just wasn’t. The man was a God.

Eren tapped his cheeks before shaking his head. He was not the type to hesitate and scolded himself for even hesitating. He took a deep breath before making his way towards the man, who looked up from his screen and set his gaze on Eren.

“Hey. Are you Hanji’s friend?”

The man paused and looked intensely at Eren, examining the leather bag Eren had on his shoulders before looking at his dark brown slacks. He glanced at Eren’s white collared shirt before staring a bit too long at the popped buttons and loose tie. Then, he looked at Eren’s face, which was tinted pink, perhaps from the heat. Eren shuffled slightly as the man stared at him as they started to make eye contact, holding it for a few seconds before the man nodded. He motioned Eren to sit down across from him, taking a sip of his drink and closing his laptop.

“It’s a pleasure. I’m Levi. Levi Ackerman. I’m assuming you are Eren Jaeger? Hanji certainly gave one hell of a description of you.” The man replied. His voice was smooth and nice, and Eren almost melted at the voice.

Eren nodded quickly. “Yeah, that’s me. I live in the apartment that’s about ten minutes away from here by foot.” Levi perked up at the statement.

“That’s very efficient. Trost University is about ten minutes by car from this place.” Eren raised his eyebrow at this statement.

“You’re still in college?”

The man shook his head. “Do I look like I am in college?”

“Eh?”

He sighed. “No, I’m an English professor. I transferred from France to teach here. Aren’t you a student though?”

“No,” Eren said. “I graduated last year from the PhD program there and I work under Hanji.” Levi looked at him for a moment, his eyes trailing over his body. Eren felt himself getting really uncomfortable and squirmed around in his seat for a bit. He thought Levi noticed as he started talking.

“Kid, what’s your age?”

“26.”

“Holy fucking shit, fuck me sideways,” murmured Levi as he proceeded to look at him further. “You look like a college student.” Eren grinned at the statement. He always liked it when people commented that he looked young. It made him feel good about himself.

“Yeah, but so do you. Aren’t you like 26 also?”

Levi smirked a bit as he took a sip of his drink. “31.”

_Wait._

_What?_

“You’re shitting me.”

“Ew, that’s disgusting,” remarked Levi. He glanced at his watch and then looked up at him.

The two men started some small talk to get to know each other more. Eren learned that Levi had no siblings and that he met Hanji during his undergrad. They have another friend with who they were both close with named Erwin, and Eren figured he would eventually meet Erwin soon. Eren told him how he met Hanji after he accidentally spilled coffee on her, and got a job from her after profusely apologizing and then ranting to her about how he needed a job. Levi talked about how he went to France to teach at a university after he got his PhD, which was also his home country.

“So you’re fluent in French?” asked Eren.

“Yes, I am. No, I will not speak French right now.”

“Bu-”

“No.”

Eren rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. But why are you looking for a roommate?”

Levi sighed. “I have the finances to get my own place. But if I end up dead in my own place, no one would find me for a long time. Unless Hanji barges in, but that’s something else.”

“So I would be the one to find your dead body?”

“Precisely,” Levi nodded.

“That’s sketchy.”

“Shut up,” Levi replied. “It’s 6:30pm right now. Do you want to order anything, because I’m starving.”

Eren looked at Levi, just now realizing that he cursed like a sailor. He almost seemed too sophisticated to curse, but it was whatever. Eren knew that he could be like that sometimes too. His stomach then decided to make a whale mating call at the moment, causing Levi to chuckle a bit as Eren blushed.

“I take it you’re the same, no?” Eren nodded slightly as he got up.

“What do you want?” He asked Levi.

“Surprise me. I’ll wire you back the payment.”

“Please don’t worry, it’s on me.”

“No, I’m not going to be treated to dinner by a brat.”

Eren raised an eyebrow. “Is that how you treat a future roommate? Do you want to continue living with Hanji?”

Levi stared at Eren before tsking. “I’ll pay you back somehow.”

Eren laughed before making his way to the cashier, who for the day, was Sasha, one of Eren’s good friends. He greeted her with a smile, while Sasha responded with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

“Say, Eren,” began Sasha as she tilted her head in Levi's direction. “Who is that guy you’re flirting it up with?”

He rolled his eyes. “He’s a potential roommate. By the way, can I have two orders of your special today please?” Sasha nodded as she rang up the order.

“Oh, so he’s a potential fuck buddy.”

“Oh, my God. Sasha.”

Sasha laughed as she took Eren’s card, swiping it before giving it back. They were used to this kind of talk, being friends since the beginning of their undergrad. Sasha was currently in school for her Masters’ in Global Studies.

“Relax, I’m joking. Maybe. Anyways, he seems pretty freaky, but hot? I don’t know.” Eren chuckled at Sasha’s vague description of Levi.

“He also looks super short. But he seems so intimidating, too. I was so scared when he ordered his tea,” whined Sasha. Another friend of ours, Connie, passed by with a cup of coffee in his hand as he also nodded in agreement. Eren laughed at the image of Levi talking to Sasha as she trembled with fear and Connie in the background hesitantly handing Levi his order.

“Hey, Connie! I guess you were also there to view Sasha’s feared interaction,” Eren said, looking at the short bald man.

Connie nodded. “Dude, I was so terrified to even look at him in the eye.”

Sasha then motioned Eren to leave. “We still have customers behind you. Go away.” Connie stuck out his tongue at Eren, and Eren stuck out his tongue in response as he walked away laughing, headed towards the table with Levi, who had gotten out his laptop and was typing on it.

“You look familiar with the staff,” commented Levi as he sat down.

Eren smiled warmly as he looked back at the counter, where Connie and Sasha continued to work with smiles on their faces.

“Yeah, my best friend’s grandfather owns the place, and his workers are my colleagues. Sasha is in her second year of grad school studying Global Studies with a focus on food security since she ‘couldn’t imagine the world missing out on the basic delicious foods’ and Connie is in grad school for business.”

Levi only hummed in response as he placed his laptop in his bag before directing his attention to Eren.

Connie came over with their orders, placing them on the table.

“Alrighty, two orders of our special for today. Hope you guys enjoy it. And don’t do drugs, Eren,” joked Connie as Eren rolled his eyes before flipping him off. Connie laughed as he walked away, and Levi poked at his sandwich. It actually looked really cute from Eren's angle. Levi looked like a child who was about to have his first sandwich.

“I ordered for both of us a chicken salad sandwich with a side of fruit. Sounds simple, but it’s actually the best chicken salad you will ever have,” Eren said as he took a bite of his sandwich, sighing at the taste. Levi looked at his sandwich for a moment before picking it up and taking a small bite. Afterward, his facial features lighten up a bit, but only a bit, before proceeding to eat more.

They continued to eat in silence, indulging in the greatness that was the chicken salad sandwich. The fruit was also fresh, and Eren finished it all in seconds. Later, Armin’s grandfather came by to greet them, wiping his hands on his white apron, which was covered in flour.

“Well, look who we have here! Eren, who is your friend over here?” Armin’s grandfather asked with a smile on his face. Eren smiled as he introduced Levi and Armin’s grandfather to each other.

“Sir, I love your chicken salad sandwich. It’s certainly one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.” Levi complimented, still holding a straight face as he had been for the majority of the time. Armin’s grandfather smiled brightly at the compliment.

“Thank you very much! Eren, I am proud of you!” Armin’s grandfather winked at the brunette.

Eren looked at him in confusion.

Armin’s grandfather only chuckled as he bid us farewell, before turning to Eren and winking again.

_Is his eye okay?_

Eren thought before he shrugged and turned to Levi, who got up and picked up his bag.

“Well, that was delicious. Can we go to your apartment now? I want to take a look,” asked Levi as he looked at him.

“Yeah, just give me a moment.” Eren grabbed his stuff and the trash to throw away. He then motioned Levi to come with him before waving at Connie and Sasha and walking out of the bakery. Levi moved next to him. Eren glanced over and noticed how he had to look down to see Levi. Before Eren could control himself, he blurted out:

“Wow, you’re short.”

That earned him a kick in the shin as Eren screamed quietly, glaring back at Levi, who glared back with a more intense aura. He stiffened at the look and directed his attention towards the front as he led the way to the apartment complex.

_For a short dude, Levi can be intimidating. And to believe I may be living with him soon._

Eren was interested in many ways.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy :)

Levi and Eren walked in a comfortable silence to the apartment, disregarding the attack Levi had made on Eren not long ago. 

Eren sighed and looked around the city, watching children run around at Garrison Park and teenagers gather at the ice cream stand nearby. Shiganshina was a lively, yet calm, city. Nothing was ever overwhelming, but there was enough joy for one to want to live in the city for the rest of their lives. Eren spotted the bench that he would sit near the lake, where he would study back when he was in school. It had the best view of the lake, where ducks would constantly swim around and the sun perfectly looked over the scenery. Nowadays, he went there to just relax. 

He glanced over at Levi, who quietly shifted his gaze between stores and trees as they continued to walk. During their conversation, Levi did not talk much, and Eren had to prompt a lot of answers from the fellow. Regardless, Eren enjoyed talking to him. He didn’t seem that bad of a person. Hanji made him sound asocial and rude, and while that may be the case at times, it wasn’t as severe. Plus, if he were friends with Hanji, then he was probably really smart. The man had a Ph.D. and traveled to a different country to teach.

Levi was a mysterious person to Eren. Eren eyed his jawline, thinking about how he found himself wanting to know everything about him. It may have seemed sudden, but Eren was already ready to offer Levi the position of his roommate. 

Additionally, Hanji’s place was cool. It was almost sci-fi like. But considering the number of experiments Hanji liked to do in her free time and her pets, Sawney and Bean, Eren could see why Levi wouldn’t want to stay with her any longer. Levi, however, also seemed like the cautious type, so Eren wasn’t sure if he would accept the offer.

They approached the apartment complex. Eren led Levi up the stairs to the second floor and the first door to the right. He took out his keys from his left pocket and unlocked the door, turning on the lights before walking in and removing his shoes. Levi followed suit, and Eren praised him mentally. He absolutely hated it when people just barged into his apartment with their shoes on. It dirtied the floor and such.

Levi looked around, and Eren did the same. He personally liked his apartment. It was modern, and the living room followed a color scheme of black, white, and grey. Eren’s room followed a green theme and the guest room followed a blue theme. The kitchen, however, was full of random European stuff that Eren found at random shops, such as a French sign and cooking utensils from Italy. And all over the walls of the apartment were several paintings that he made himself. Eren liked to paint. Many of his friends said that he had a talent for it. 

“So, here’s my apartment,” he said, extending out his arm to the room. Levi only nodded as he walked up to one of the paintings, which was a painting of the ocean.

“I always had a romantic attraction to the ocean. It’s a beautiful scenery and I loved watching the sunset and sunrise every time I went,” Eren said. Levi only hummed in response.

Eren didn’t know what else to do, so he just dropped off his bag on the couch before walking to the kitchen as Levi continued to look around. Getting two mugs, he asked Levi if he wanted anything to drink.

“Do you have tea?” asked Levi.

Eren scoffed. “Tea is 50% of my blood. I have plenty. Come over and choose one.” 

He directed Levi to a cabinet, where over 10 containers of loose leaf tea were presented proudly, along with a few boxes of tea bags. Levi showed no expression as he skimmed through the boxes, before settling with Eren’s favorite flavor, blueberry green tea.

“This is my favorite,” Levi simply said as he handed him the packet. Eren took the packet from him and smiled.

“Same, my mom got me into it,” Eren told him as he gave off a slight smile. He had a small flashback of a time when he was studying at the kitchen table, and his mom would hand him a mug of tea with her cheerful smile.

Levi looked at Eren for a moment before sitting down at the dining table, watching him intently as he poured water into the kettle from the sink. Eren was slightly uncomfortable with the amount of attention he was receiving but at the same time, he didn’t mind it.

“So, Eren, tell me more about yourself,” Levi said. Eren poured the boiling water into the mugs before handing one to Levi. He sat down next to him and thought about what to say as he watched the strainer make the water change colors.

“Well,” Eren began. “I have an adopted sister, my favorite color is green, and I really like seafood.” He glanced over at Levi, who was already drinking out of the mug.

“How the fuck are you already drinking? It’s like, insanely hot.”

Levi only shrugged as he looked down at his drink. “I mean, I’m insanely hot, so it’s normal for me to be able to be around insanely hot things.” He then looked at Eren and _was that a wink?_

Eren felt himself turning red as he looked down at his tea, which was starting to cool down only slightly. He didn’t dare take a sip.

After a moment of awkward silence, Eren got up and looked at Levi. He gave him a questioning look before standing up too.

“I’m going to show you what would be your room if you’re still interested,” Eren said, before proceeding to walk to the guest room. He didn't hear anyone following him, so he turned around before letting out a small yip. 

“Brat, what is your problem?” Levi snarked. He was standing right in front of Eren.

“Are your footsteps made out of… like… feathers or something? I barely heard you!” Eren exclaimed with his hand over his chest. 

Levi shrugged. “I like to take caution when I walk.”

Eren stared at him for a bit before turning around and walked down the hall before reaching the door on the right. He opened the door to reveal Levi’s potential room.

There were a few pieces of dark brown furniture in the room: a full-size bed, a dresser, and a nightstand. The walls were a light blue, borderline grey, and there were a few paintings that could be combined together to form a tree. A small lamp sat on the nightstand with a brand new candle next to it. The bedsheets were white and navy blue, with four pillows and one throw pillow. There was also a grey fuzzy throw blanket near the foot of the bed.

Levi nudged Eren to the side as he walked in, examining the room and placing his finger on each furniture piece before gliding it across. He would look at his finger and slightly nod before moving onto the next furniture piece. Eren leaned against the door frame, letting Levi do whatever he was doing. 

“Uh, the candle is like a light rose scent,” Eren said as Levi leaned towards the candle. He saw Levi take a few sniffs before walking up to Eren.

“What time do you wake up?” asked Levi.

“7am.”

“What is your morning routine?”

“Uh, I wake up, brush my teeth, get dressed, make myself some breakfast, then go to work.”

“Shower at night then?”

“Yeah.”

“What is your shit schedule?”

“My… what?”

“It looks like we would be sharing the same bathroom,” Levi pointed out. “So it is important to make sure that we do not collide bowel movements.”

Eren stared at the man, not knowing what kind of answer to respond with. No one really asked about his bowel movements, besides his doctor.

“I try to go at least once a day. My doctor says to do so,” responded Eren as he scratched his head. "But I don't really have a specific time I do it at?"

Levi nodded. “I could work with that. But if you had to choose, what times do you think you do it the most?”

"Like... after dinner?" Eren responded questionably. Levi didn't respond, only nodding again as he looked over the room.

“Okay… so what do you think?” Eren was curious about Levi’s thoughts. Was his place satisfactory enough for him? What kind of expectations did he have?

Levi sat on the bed. He bounced on it a few times. “This is soft.”

“I am very good at choosing beds,” Eren remarked. 

Levi rolled his eyes. “Did you arrange everything in this apartment?”

Eren nodded. “Yeah. It was kinda fun. I’m proud of it.”

“You should be, kid. You have good taste,” Levi complimented. Eren found himself feeling hot, loosening his already-loose tie further.

“Thanks,” Eren shyly whispered to him before noticing his tone and straightening his back. Why was he getting shy? He was really good with people, but apparently, one compliment from a short man was enough to make him shy. 

“I have to see your bathroom,” Levi said as he walked out of the room and into the hall. “Which door?”

“The door to your right. The door right in front of you is my room,” responded Eren.

Levi turned and crossed his arms. “I would like to see both rooms.”

“Uh, wh-”

“To know someone’s true form, you must catch them by surprise,” Levi promptly said. Eren shrugged and waved his hand off to Levi. The man could do whatever.

Levi took that as a yes and walked into Eren’s room, which had a similar layout as the guest room. However, there were more paintings on the wall, and a giant stuffed panda that was probably 5 feet tall at the corner of the bed. The room also had a green theme to it, with light greenish-grey walls and a forest comforter. Levi looked up to see a bunch of string lights at the edges of the ceiling, waiting to be lit at night. The room was clean, just how he liked it.

He then turned around and walked out to look at the bathroom. Eren just stood in the hallway, not wanting to get in the way. He fiddled with his hair as his eyes trailed Levi’s body, eyeing the pecks that were slightly visible underneath his dress shirt. 

_He works out. He’s probably packed. Tiny, but perhaps mighty. Be subtle. Don’t let him know you’re checking him out, Eren._

“Kid,” announced Levi, causing Eren to blink and make eye contact with him. Levi noted Eren’s slightly flushed cheeks before smirking.

“I’ll give you a shot,” continued Levi.

Eren gulped. _A shot? Like, me, like what kind of shot?_

Levi chuckled slightly at Eren’s pause. “You seem like a clean person, and I don’t want to punch you in the face. So, if the offer still stands, I’ll take it and be your apartment mate. I’m also kind of desperate. I need to leave Hanji’s place.”

Eren beamed, ignoring a slight pang of disappointment that he did not understand before he felt his back being pushed back against the wall. He groaned and closed his eyes, rubbing the back of his head before opening them to see Levi pressing his forearm against Eren’s chest. Levi leaned up - Eren had to hold back a small giggle - and stared right into Eren’s emerald green eyes. 

Was he breathing? Eren wasn’t sure. Hell, Eren wasn’t sure if Levi was breathing himself. 

“However,” Levi finally said after a brief moment, “I reserve the right to leave whenever I want.”

Eren quickly nodded and Levi stepped back, causing Eren to step forward and take a big breath. 

_I guess I wasn’t breathing. But hey, at least I won’t be lonely._

After regaining a normal breathing pace, Eren looked up to see Levi holding his phone against his ear. 

“I’ll have to call Hanji to get my shit. Is it okay if she brings it over here?” Levi glanced over at Eren. 

“Yeah, I don’t care.”

Levi hummed before a piercing scream rang from his phone. He held his phone a foot away from his ear as Eren laughed, recognizing the scream.

“ _Leviiiii!!!!! How are you doing? Did you meet Eren? Was I right about how h-”_

“Goddamn it, you shit face, shut up,” grumbled Levi as he quickly lowered the volume on his phone. Eren was still giggling at his boss’ excitement that could literally be heard through the phone.

“I need you to bring my stuff over. And don’t forget anything.”

Levi stayed quiet as he listened to Hanji talk over the phone, occasionally grunting in response. Eren 

“Okay, see you later. Okay. Okay. Okay. See you later.” 

Eren couldn’t hold in his laughter anymore. He knew that it was difficult to end a phone call with Hanji, and Levi was no exception to Hanji.

“Yeah. Okay. For fuck’s sakes, just shut up and get here,” Levi grunted as he ended the phone call. He glared at Eren, who was slowly recovering from laughing.

“Brat, don’t tell me you’ve never dealt with this bullshit before,” grumbled Levi. 

“I work for her,” responded Eren.

“Oh, shit. You right.”

Eren nodded before looking at his watch. “Hanji should be here around 10-ish minutes. Is there anything you’d like to do?” He walked back to the dining table, where his tea had probably cooled down. Taking a seat, he lifted the grey mug to his lips, testing the temperature of the tea before he took a sip.

Levi pulled out a chair and sat down, crossing his legs as he finished the remainder of his tea. He placed his mug down before pushing it towards Eren.

They both stared at each other before Eren broke contact to point at the mug.

“Would you like more tea?”

“Yes, please, thank you for asking,” responded Levi smugly. 

Eren rolled his eyes for the millionth time that day and got up to prepare another cup. He occasionally would sneak peeks of Levi, who seemed to look around the apartment, as if he were evaluating each aspect. Eren would not be surprised if Levi were calculating the angles of each piece of furniture in the living room. 

As he stood by the stove, waiting for the kettle to steam, Eren thought back about Levi agreeing to be roommates. Levi seemed to be the kind of person that would think things through before agreeing to something so committing - well, he did mention being able to leave whenever he wanted. Maybe Levi was secretly like Eren, not wanting to be alone. Or maybe Levi had a secret, particularly one with the FBI.

_Stoic face, almost dead eyes, potential super body._

Eren concluded that Levi was a secret agent.

The kettle started to whistle, and Eren poured the water into Levi’s mug as the tea leaves seeped in it. He walked over and handed Levi his mug.

“What do you do for fun, Levi?” Eren asked, raising the mug to his lips.

Levi grabbed the mug and mirrored Eren’s movements. “I read.”

“What do you like to read?”

“Mysteries.”

Eren perked up. “Are you good at solving mysteries?”

“I’d say I’m not so bad,” replied Levi coolly. Eren hummed before a frantic series of knocks bellowed from the front door. He placed his mug down and got up, positioning himself to step away from the door as soon as he opened it.

Hanji popped into the apartment, arms extended as she rapidly looked around before setting her sight on Eren.

“My cinnamon apple!” She wrapped her arms tightly against Eren as he struggled to breathe. Levi simply got up to go to the hallway, where he grabbed his luggage and rolled them into the apartment. 

“H-H-Han…” wheezed Eren.

“Oi. Can’t you tell you’re killing him?” Levi snarked. “Let go of him, Shitty Glasses.”

Hanji gave Eren a final squeeze before she released him. Eren stepped away and gasped loudly, holding on to his chest. 

“You came faster than anticipated,” Evan heaved. 

The brunette laughed. “I was actually waiting in the parking lot. I just KNEW that Levi would want to live with you. Call it smart thinking. I would’ve come faster but I had to carry all of Levi’s stuff. He has too much.” She tapped her head.

“Big Brain…” murmured Eren.

“More like creepy as fuck,” scowled Levi. “Let me put my stuff away.”

As Levi somehow grabbed all of his luggage and walked to his room, Hanji propped her face on her hands, leaning against the kitchen counter. She gleamed at Eren as he watched Levi walk away.

“What do you think of him?” Hanji asked.

Eren turned back to Hanji. “He’s fine. Seems like a reasonable guy. Reasonable flatmate. Reasonably caring about cleanliness.”

“Oh, do tell me what other places he’s reasonable in,” Hanji cooed.

“Uh,” Eren hesitated, unsure of what answer Hanji was trying to prompt out of him.

“Do you think he’s a cutie?” blurted Hanji as she threw her hands in the air, throwing Eren off guard slightly. “Cause I swear, underneath that short grey statue, Levi’s a sweetie pie!”

“I wouldn’t -”

“He’s totally a sweetie pie! And perhaps you’ll someday get to see it! I’m so excited for you, Eren!” She grabbed Eren’s hands and together, they twirled around the living room. Hanji roared with laughter while Eren stared at a small dribble of drool creeping out the corner of her mouth. 

“Looking at you both makes me dizzy,” Levi boomed. Hanji released Eren, who lost his balance and collided with Levi. His head crashed against Levi’s stomach and before he could collapse on the floor, Levi grabbed Eren’s shoulders.

Eren groaned. “I don’t feel good…”

He winced at the pain that lingered on his head before looking in front of him, where he could see closely through Levi’s shirt. Eren managed to get a small visual of Levi’s muscles and his head started to hurt more while his chest started to feel tight.

“Hanji,” Levi began. “With this being my new living area, I request that you leave.”

Hanji pouted. "But I just go-"

"Leave."

"What would I get in return?" asked Hanji, wiggling her eyebrows. Levi sighed.

"I'll buy you a cake."

She only cackled as she skipped out of the door. “Thank you, my dear pie! Ta ta! I’ll see you both tomorrow!”

Before anyone could respond, the front door shut. Levi lowered Eren down to the floor carefully.

“Do you need to puke some shit out?” asked Levi. Eren rubbed his forehand and looked up at Levi, unable to read the facial expression he wore. The question seemed both concerning and weird, but he didn’t think too much into it.

“No, I think that I just need some rest. Let me just take a quick shower and change into comfortable clothes,” grimaced Eren as he slowly got up. Both Eren and Levi stood in silence before they both realized that Levi was still holding onto Eren’s shoulders. Immediately, Levi released his grasp and they both stepped away from each other. Levi rubbed his neck as he looked over to his right, staring at a corner.

“Well,” Levi began. “Go shower. Make sure that shower is efficient and shit. I’ll shower after you.” He then turned around and walked into his room. Eren stood there long before he touched his cheeks, feeling slight heat. He decided to lower the thermostat before getting ready to end his night.

After performing his nightly ritual of showering, brushing his teeth, and changing into only a pair of black and white plaid pajama pants, Eren laid on the couch, lazily scrolling through social media before Levi eventually joined him, sitting to his right on a light green recliner. 

A moment of silence passed by before Levi cleared his throat. Eren lifted his head and took in Levi’s image.

His hair was slightly damp from his shower, the black strands stuck against Levi’s forehead. Some of the water dripped down to Levi’s chest, bare from any clothing. Eren watched as a few droplets drifted from Levi’s collarbones, down his defined pecs, and gliding over his very, very defined muscles. He had a six-pack, potential eight-pack. Eren didn’t even have time to feel self-conscious, for he was still following the droplets down to Levi’s pajamas, consisting of plain navy blue pajama pants. The strings at the front were tied in a literal perfect knot, and Eren was wondering how Levi managed to pull off such perfection when Levi started to speak.

“How’s your head?” asked Levi.

Eren blinked before looking up to Levi’s face, receiving another expressionless face. He thought that he saw a corner of Levi’s lips perk up, but Eren wasn’t so sure.

“It’s fine,” he replied. “Hanji just has too much energy for me.”

Levi nodded in agreement. “That makes both of us. She’s a handful, but you learn to deal with it.”

Eren’s phone vibrated. He checked the screen to see that Hanji had sent him a message.

**[Hanji Zoe]**

_Look at Levi’s faaaacccceeeeeeee._

He glanced up to see that Levi also had his phone out, staring at its screen before rapidly standing up and walking to his room.

“I’m going to bed. Night,” Levi quickly called out. Eren could’ve sworn he saw the tip of Levi’s ears turn a faint pink as he walked past the couch.

“Good night!” Eren responded and before he got the chance to glance back at his phone, he felt a tap on his head. Looking up, he saw Levi look away.

"And thank you for letting me live here. I hope things work out," murmured Levi as he looked down at Eren.

Eren shined a huge smile at Levi, feeling his chest bubble up. "They will. Thank you for taking the offer."

Levi stared at Eren for a bit before he grunted and walked to his room. Eren looked back down at his phone.

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Did you by chance send him something?_

He immediately got a response.

**[Hanji Zoe]**

_Huehuehuehue._

**[Hanji Zoe]**

_¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Who knows?_

**[Hanji Zoe]**

_Only MEEEEEEE._

**[Hanji Zoe]**

_And I guess your new roomie. ;)_

Eren concluded that he would never understand Hanji. This included her weird comments about Levi being a “sweetie pie,” suspicious text messages, and her overall eagerness for him to meet Levi.

After all, Levi was just some person that Eren started living with.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been procrastinating on everything. Forgive me. But please enjoy this chapter. I would love to hear any feedback and criticism.

Eren picked up some information during the first week he lived with Levi.

He learned that Levi adored a clean environment, which he didn’t mind. However, he felt that it got out of hand sometimes, such as the time Eren left a cup on the counter overnight. Levi complained. Additionally, Levi showered twice a day - once in the morning and once at night. 

He also learned that Levi did not sleep much at night. When Eren would grab a late-night glass of water, Levi would be sitting on the couch, staring at his laptop with a cup of freshly made tea on the coffee table (ha, ironic).

Levi did not cook much. Instead, he would do intense research on how nearby restaurants prepared their foods and their supply sources before ordering from them frequently. Turned out, Levi generally was lazy when it came to making food. He also had a lot of money, so Eren didn’t blame him. Fortunately, he favored Armin’s grandfather’s cafe and would occasionally buy Eren some food. That, Eren appreciated.

Also, it seemed that Hanji would send a particular text message to Levi every night. Eren noticed that Levi’s ears would have a tint of red immediately after he read Hanji’s messages. He had pestered Levi every time about what Hanji had sent, but Levi always refused to say anything. Even Hanji wouldn’t share with Eren, and Hanji had a loud mouth. Eren tried to brush it off, assuming that Hanji would eventually tell him. But, he was an impatient person. 

He discovered that Levi was fond of cats. One day, as Eren walked up to their apartment, he got a text message from Levi with a picture of a black cat. He had green eyes, almost similar to Eren’s. It seemed that Levi caught him mid-yawn. Another text quickly followed.

**[Levi Ackerman]**

_We have a cat._

Eren paused. 

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Say what now_

Eren looked carefully at the photo, where he could spot his kitchen in the background. His phone buzzed. 

**[Levi Ackerman]**

_I know you can read, brat._

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Bruh wtf_

Eren shoved his phone in his pocket and ran to the apartment, opening the front door to find the black cat sitting on Levi’s lap. It perked up at the brunette’s entrance before yawning and squishing his face against Levi’s thigh. Levi gently ran his fingers through the cat’s fur before looking at Eren.

“Bruh-” Eren began.

“What the fuck, yes, yes. I saw.” Levi waved his phone next to his face. He placed it down on the coffee table before patting at the empty spot next to him on the couch. Eren hesitantly took off his black loafers before tiptoeing to the couch, placing his bag on a kitchen chair while making his way. 

The cat made no motion to move as Eren sat down. After a few moments, Eren stretched out his hand to pet the cat, who meowed as it leaned into his touch.

“So, I’m sure you’re wondering, where the fuck did this cat come from?” Levi started.

Eren nodded.

“Well, I was walking back from the garage when all of a sudden, this cat came out of nowhere. And the little shit followed me all the way back to the apartment.”

Levi looked down at the cat, who started purring as Eren continued to pet it.

“I took it to the vet and the vet said that there was no chip or anything to indicate its owner. He suggested that I bring it to the animal shelter. And then the damn cat looked at me, and those damn ey- anyways,” Levi coughed. “This is Captain. It is a male cat. I’ve set up appointments to make sure that it gets all of its shots and shit, and he is our cat.”

Eren only hummed, looking at Levi’s slightly flushed cheeks. There was a faint smile across Levi’s lips as he stared at Captain.

“Oh yeah,” Levi spoke up. “I talked to Hanji and she said that you would probably not have a problem with cats. That is why I made the decision to tend to this cat. Are there any objections?” He raised his left eyebrow.

Eren shook his head. “I’d wish you had told me about this beforehand, but it’s fine. I like cats. They’re soft and nice, but also demanding.”

“I texted you.”

“You know what I mean!”

Levi nodded. “Got it. I'm sorry about that. Also, I bought a lot of food and toys. The food is on the bottom shelf of the pantry and I shoved all the toys in that corner.”

Eren looked over to where Levi was pointing. There were a few small toy mouses, a giant cat tower, and a few feathers on sticks. A stack of boxes in multiple sizes was also there. The man certainly went all out for the cat, only knowing it for the first day.

He chuckled. “It’s kind of cute how you went all out for the kitty.”

Levi choked a bit on the tea that he decided to sip on just then, and Captain jumped off his lap to run to the top of the cat tower before becoming a loaf of bread and stared down at the two men. Eren gasped and scooted closer to Levi.

“Are you okay?!” exclaimed Eren.

The professor only nodded before his phone rang. He grabbed it from the coffee table and glanced at the caller ID before rejecting the call.

After ignoring the phone multiple times, Levi grunted and answered. 

“What.”

_“Leeeeeevi, how rude!"_

Eren laughed, knowing who Levi was trying to ignore. He decided to take the time to head into his room and change out of his work clothes, putting on a white t-shirt and a pair of grey gym shorts. When he came out of his room, he was greeted by Hanji spinning around the living room holding Captain. The cat had a dull expression on its face while Levi rubbed his temples.

“Hi, Eren!” greeted Hanji. “I was gonna go home after work, but then was like, I wanna see Eren again! And Levi is there too! So I came over. I didn’t know you guys had a child!”

“Hi,” waved Eren as he sat next to Levi, who removed his hands from his face and glared at Eren. Eren could practically hear the message Levi sent to him.

_Eren, kill me._

_Sorry, Levi._

Eren sheepishly shrugged. It wasn’t unordinary for Hanji to barge into Eren’s place. She quickly made herself at home, tossing the cat on Levi before pouring herself a cup of water before sitting on the recliner chair, talking about an interaction that she had with a coworker today. As Levi rolled his eyes, he continued to listen, and Eren wondered about the root of Hanji and Levi’s friendship. He seemed to be sick of her 24/7, but also cared about her very much. In a weird, twisted way, yes. But still caring.

Captain was enjoying some scratches given by Levi when Hanji decided to plop herself directly on Eren’s lap. Eren flinched at the sudden contact and was about to ask Hanji to get up before Levi straight out pushed her off of Eren.

“You’re such a shitface,” Levi grimaced. “Do you understand the concept of personal space?”

“What? You get to sit next to Eren!” Hanji pointed out. “The distance between you two is so small!”

And it was true. Levi and Eren’s thighs were almost touching. Eren just had to move a few inches to his right to make contact.

“We’re roommates,” Levi replied.

“Oh my, God,” groaned Hanji. “And they were roommates.”

She got up and cackled, rubbing her butt before facing Eren. “Anyways, before I was rudely interrupted, I was wondering if we could bake a cake. It’s the weekend now. And Levi, have you ever had Eren’s German Chocolate Cake before?”

Levi raised his eyebrow as he glanced at Eren, who was mindlessly petting Captain’s tail. Surprisingly, the cat did not mind. 

“No. Actually, I’ve only seen Eren make stir fry since I’ve been here. And it’s not bad.”

“Levi!” Hangi gasped. “You’re missing out! And Eren, how dare you!”

Eren lifted his hands up. “Hey, it’s been a busy week. There is a reason I only made stir fry this week.”

“But it’s the weeeeeekend now! And plus, I know your schedule and stuff. Go. I know you have the ingredients. I’m waiting!”

“Bu-” Eren groaned.

“Now,” Hanji interrupted sternly. She walked over to the couch and yanked Eren up to drag him to the kitchen. Eren could hear Levi snort in the background.

While Eren gathered the ingredients, Hanji walked back to Levi, plopping herself next to the fellow. Levi showed no interest in her, only looking at the kitchen, where Eren had now started to put on a frilly pink apron. 

Hanji eyed Levi’s movements as he focused his sight everywhere Eren went to, from the fridge to the pantry. She didn’t say anything for a brief moment before she decided to speak up.

“So,” she whispered. Levi blinked before snapping.

“What.”

“How’s living with Eren?”

“It’s alright. He’s a tolerable roommate. I don’t really have any reason to complain much,” responded Levi as he looked back at Eren.

“Yeah, his ass isn’t something to complain about either,” Hanji snickered. She could see Levi trying to resist directing his eyes to the kitchen, where Eren was now dumping flour in a large bowl. Alas, he failed, for he noticed that Eren did not use any measuring cups.

Levi was about to comment on Eren’s lack of measurements, for baking was a delicate process before Hanji placed her finger on Levi’s lips. He shuddered and wiped his mouth before glaring at her.

“Trust the process,” Hanji whispered.

She resumed back to her normal voice, asking Levi about his work at the university. He talked about how Erwin liked to stop by his office hours to complain about how most of his students the past semester did not have a passion for history and only took the class for a supposed easy A, which he proved otherwise. He also mentioned how he was preparing for his summer class - a course called Life Writing. The course explored creative non-fiction, where students would write about different aspects of their lives. Levi was excited, for he was always interested in learning about his students and seeing their growth. Additionally, creative non-fiction was his favorite topic to teach.

Hanji talked about how excited she was for Eren’s cake. It was one of her all-time favorite desserts, and she swore that Levi would find it delightful.

Eren placed three pans in the oven. He washed the dishes he did not need before heading back to where Levi and Hanji sat. 

“Whatever happened to ‘we should bake a cake?’ Why did it become only me?” asked Eren. Levi shrugged and Hanji laughed.

“Be nice to your guest,” responded Hanji.

“I never said anything,” said Levi.

“I guess that’s true. What did I miss?” asked Eren. He sat down on the floor, extending his legs and leaning back on his forearms as he looked up at Levi and Hanji.

“I was just gushing about your cake! It’s the best,” replied Hanji. Eren could see a small bit of drool coming out of the corner of her mouth.

“You drool a lot. That shit is disgusting,” Levi replied. He looked over at Eren as Eren pushed back some of his hair, raising his shirt up a bit. Levi quickly averted his eyes to Captain. Eren noticed. 

“Wow, Eren,” Hanji said. “Have you been working out?”

“Uh, yeah,” responded Eren. “I could always use more muscle.”

Hanji flung herself to Eren, receiving a yelp in response. She quickly sat on the brunette, grabbing his right arm in the process. After squeaking his biceps a few times, Hanji turned and looked up at Levi.

“Wow, Eren,” Hanji repeated. “You got some nice arms. Right, Levi? Can you tell?”

Levi tsked. “You need to stop bothering the kid.”

“But his arms! You know what, you’re right. We need to look at his abs!” And with that, Hanji tried to lift up Eren’s shirt while Eren tried to pull his shirt down. 

“What the fuck!” Eren exclaimed. He tried to scoot away from Hanji before he blinked and Hanji flew off of Eren. 

“Oof.”

She was knocked out from the side, backside down next to Eren. Eren glanced over at Hanji before he looked up at Levi, who was perpendicular to Eren. His body was bent over Eren, where his arms were to Eren’s right while his legs were to Eren’s left. It was like Levi was a tunnel for Eren’s body. They both made eye contact, not moving for a few seconds before Levi jumped off the floor and sat down next to Eren.

“Sorry, I wanted to headbutt Shitty Glasses,” Levi mumbled, his ears turning pink. Eren only nodded in response, feeling his own cheeks heat up before glancing over his hips, where Levi had hovered his body over for a bit. 

Hanji watched the awkward interaction, giggling the whole time. “Well, I hope you enjoyed that, Levi.”

Levi shrugged as he suddenly became interested in Captain, who was catching some zzz’s with no care in the world. It was as if he did not hear any of the commotion happening. Or he ignored it.

Eren sighed. “Hanji, don’t do that again please.”

Hanji wiggled her eyebrows. “Eh, we’ll see about that.”

A groan came in reply, and Eren moved farther from Hanji to sit closer to Levi. 

“I’m moving away from you. There is no trust. Levi, would you protect me?” asked Eren.

Levi raised one corner of his lips ever so slightly. “Can’t take care of yourself, brat? Need a strong, sophisticated man like me?”

Eren widened his eyes. “We-ell, you just seem to not have a problem headbutting Hanji!” He stuttered. “Anyways, I don’t want to use my energy on her anyway.”

“So you want me to use my energy?”

"Precisely," nodded Eren.

“Anyways, folks," Hanji interrupted. "Let’s play some games! That cake is probably going to be in the oven for a while, but don’t worry, I can smell when it is supposed to come out!”

“Never fails to amaze me,” Eren murmured while shaking his head before pushing his hair back again. Levi watched as the brown locks slowly moved away from Eren’s emerald eyes. 

“Like, how does one manage to smell so well?”

“I learned from Mike,” Hanji laughed.

Eren paused for a moment, thinking about the time Mike could apparently smell Eren’s frustration as Eren remembered that he left his lunch at home. The man had an odd, yet impressive, sense of smell. 

“I see. That’s weird. Still never fails to amaze me,” Eren replied, laughing at the memory.

Levi watched as Eren threw his head back, eyes closed briefly as he laughed before Eren turned to Levi. He hesitated for a bit as he stared into Levi’s eyes before shyly smiling at him. 

“Never fails,” Levi agreed, feeling a very faint smile appear on his lips. 

Unknown to either of the two men, Hanji subtly took a picture of them, snickering to herself. 

Captain had made it in the photo, finally waking up and made its way to Eren's side, looking at both him and Levi. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm really bad at updating, and this is a short chapter, but I hope you still all enjoy it :) It's Levi's perspective.
> 
> Side note: Season 4 Trailer!!! I'm so excited. Eren glowed up and Levi is still my handsome baby.

Eren had the cake out, letting it cool down before he frosted it. The smell of chocolate cake took over the apartment, and Hanji was treating herself to some white wine. 

“Hanji,” spoke up Levi. “Don’t you think it’s fairly unprofessional to go to your employee’s home like this?”

“Aw, sweetie.” Levi growled at the nickname. “I actually met Eren before I hired him. I knew his dad, actually.”

“His dad?”

Levi glanced over at Eren, who was preparing the frosting. He had the apron back on and was whisking inside the bowl. 

“Yeah, his dad was really nice to me. He was my doctor for a bit before… you know,” Hanji trailed off, and Levi nodded, not needing another explanation. He remembered Eren telling him about his parents passing away and wanted to respect the man’s boundaries.

“So, you like to annoy Eren as much as you can?”

Hanji beamed.

“I got used to it,” Eren piped up from the kitchen. “Hanji and I didn’t really get close until after my parents’ death when she was studying for her Ph.D. I was actually one of her mentees.”

“He was the only mentee who managed my wavelength!” Hanji exclaimed.

Levi knew that Hanji had been successful in her research during her time in grad school. If she was Eren’s mentor, that meant that Eren, too, had many accomplishments prior to his current occupation. Levi still couldn't get over how she got quickly promoted at her current job.

To Levi, Eren seemed like both an open person and an enigma. He wondered just how much there was to learn about Eren. The kid surprised him with his capability to bake (which of course, could be tarnished by the taste if the cake turned out bad) and the organization that he had. There were times the kid would leave a cup laying around here and there, but he was still better than many people he knew.

And his eyes. Levi would rather die than admit that he couldn’t turn his back on Captain because there was a remarkable similarity between their eyes. Eren’s eyes showed much emotion, and Levi found it fascinating how the sun’s rays created speckles of gold when reflected against Eren’s green eyes. 

Hanji had pestered him about getting a roommate when she heard that he was coming back after a few years of teaching in France. Levi was initially against the idea. Why would he want to share a room with someone who he had never met before? He had a shit personality outside of professionalism, a cleaning problem, and a bad sense of humor. However, that was nothing to Hanji.

Somehow, Hanji managed to get her way, for she got Levi to _“pretty please with a cherry on top”_ agree to, at the very least, meet up with the person she wanted Levi to room with. There was no logical reasoning as to how Hanji did it, but Levi just had a feeling. A weird, illogical feeling. But still a feeling.

And here they were. Roughly a week later, he was sitting in the apartment that he shared with Eren, watching Hanji empty a bottle of wine as Eren iced his cake. Not wanting to deal with the glasses freak, Levi got up and slowly made his way to the kitchen.

“It’s almost done,” Eren said as Levi stood next to him.

Looking at the German chocolate cake, Levi nodded in approval. “Looks good.”

“What’s amazing about this,” whispered Eren. “Is that when Hanji eats this cake, she becomes completely quiet.”

Levi widened his eyes, looking over at Hanji who was talking to herself before directing his attention to Eren. “No.”

“Yes!” Eren responded. 

Eren cleared his throat before resuming to a normal volume. “Anyways, would you mind getting some plates and forks please?”

Levi nodded, watching Eren for a brief moment as he stuck out his tongue in focus, finishing up the icing on the cake before grabbing the silverware. Hanji got up and slowly made her way towards the kitchen, plopping herself on a chair.

“Is the cake ready yet?” slurred Hanji as she emptied the wine bottle in her mouth. Levi grimaced at the action before he carefully placed the plates on the opposite side of Hanji.

“Why the fuck did you decide to finish up my wine?” Levi grunted. 

“Because it’s wine!”

“You’re such a shitty-”

“Okay!” Eren interrupted. “Cake is ready! Hanji, if you are good, then I’ll give you two slices.”

Hanji cheered as she set her head down on the table, eyeing Eren’s movements as he cut up a slice. He carefully placed it on a plate before handing it to Hanji with a fork.

“Watch,” Eren nudged Levi. 

Levi stared at Hanji as she sniffed the cake all around. She licked the top, making Levi want to gag at the sight. However, he was surprised by how delicately Hanji ate the cake. Even when intoxicated, she was careful to not let any crumbs split. And better yet, she was completely quiet.

There was definitely something special about Eren, and making a cake to shut Hanji up was most certainly one of the reasons.

Levi was about to grab his own plate before Eren nudged him. He saw Eren holding up a plate with a slice of cake already prepared. Eren shyly smiled as he handed Levi the plate.

“I prepared you a slice,” Eren said before looking away, a faint tint of red appearing on his cheeks. “Hope you like it.”

“Thank you,” Levi said as he gently took the plate from Eren. Their fingers touched, and Levi felt a slight rush of heat go to his cheeks. Both of them jumped back slightly before Eren quickly grabbed his own plate to get himself a slice. Levi glanced at his hands before feeling his cheek. He was thankful Hanji was still immersed in the cake. 

He sat down at the chair opposite of Hanji before cutting a small piece off on his fork. With one bite, Levi immediately groaned out loud, not noticing Eren freezing in his tracks as he watched Levi eat cake.

Levi slowly pulled out his fork from his mouth, licking off the icing clean before grabbing another bite. He understood why Hanji was so quiet. The cake was amazing. Delectable. Delicious. He did not want to say anything, for all he wanted to do, was eat cake. Sweets were his weakness, as surprising as one may find it due to his demeanor. 

“Um…” Levi looked up from his cake to see Eren sitting next to him with his untouched slice. 

Eren bit his lip. “You have some icing on your lips.”

What went over Levi then? He had no idea, but he maintained eye contact with Eren as he slowly let his tongue glide over his top lip. Levi stayed calm as he took in Eren’s reaction. The brunette had his lips open slightly as he shifted from Levi’s eyes to his lips.

After a few moments of staring at each other, Levi smirked. “Is it still there?”

Eren slowly shook his head, green eyes wide as the sunset peeked through the blinds. They slightly hit Eren’s eyes, letting the glimmer of gold appear. Levi wanted to reach out to Eren’s face and felt his hand extend before Hanji popped in right between their faces.

“I would like more cake!” Hanji gleefully announced. Levi jerked back his hand and Eren quickly stood up. 

“Uhh, yes, I got it,” replied Eren. And with that, he grabbed Hanji’s clean plate to place another slice on it.

Levi had never been so thankful for Hanji’s fat mouth.

While Hanji finished her second slice, Eren and Levi made some small talk. Neither dared to mention the moment that they had.

Besides, Levi did not understand what had happened. The touch that came from Eren’s fingers was pleasant. And then that staring contest that they had, where Levi had actively tried to seduce him. He found himself enjoying it and wanted to do it again. However, he had only known Eren for only around a week. That was kind of short.

Levi had no idea what to think of Eren. Hanji liked to send Levi pictures of Eren doing various things. The first time she sent a picture of him, Eren was stretching, revealing some of his toned tanned abs. What was even worse was that Eren had been right in front of him. Levi called an early night at that time. 

Was it a crush?

Levi quickly dismissed the thought. He was too awkward to have a crush. Maybe that would be a thought for another time. 

“Erreeen!!!” Hanji smiled. “I finished my cake! May I have som-”

“No, you may not have some more,” Eren said sternly. “Levi and I need to have some cake too.”

“But… but…” Hanji pouted. “Levi has the ability to get your cake literally any time he wants.”

“Not if you eat it all,” responded Eren. 

“Pfft, as if I would eat YOUR cake.”

“You literally ate two slices.”

“That’s not what I mea-”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Levi interrupted. “Hanji, let me take you home.”

“Not yet!” exclaimed Hanji. “I want a sleepover!”

“Absolutely fucking no,” Levi responded immediately.

“But-”

“I kind of agree with him,” Eren said, and Levi felt relief across his body. “I’d like to spend more time getting to know Levi, since it’s the weekend and everything.”

Levi and Eren exchanged a glance. Eren softly smiled at him before looking at Hanji.

“I can call Moblit to pick you up later,” Eren suggested.

“That’s my baby,” Hanji perked up. “Okay! While you get Moblit, I’m going to go ahead and talk.”

“Like you don’t in the first place,” Levi grumbled.

“Hush!”

Eren made his phone call as Hanji rambled about getting a fish. She talked about how she wanted to see if she could train goldfish to farm underwater and Levi just sat there, occasionally nodding so that Hanji wouldn’t go off track and bother him about how he wasn’t listening. He swore that Hanji was no different when she was drunk. Maybe she had a tendency to overtalk, but that was it. 

“Moblit is picking you up in 30 minutes,” Eren said. “So let’s get you some water to drink.”

“Eren! Did you know that Levi has a tat-”

“Why do you feel the need to expose me like this?” Levi raised his voice.

“Aren’t you and Eren housemates?” Hanji asked.

“Yes.”

“Then he’s going to find out eventually!”

“I’m so confused,” Eren said. “Levi, what do you-”

“Hanji, tell Eren about your shitty fish plan,” Levi said.

“Ah, yes! My fish named Bish!”

Levi took a breather and moved himself to the couch next to Captain, who was taking a nap. He was already tired of Hanji’s presence and prayed that Moblit would be here earlier than he said he would be. For some reason, he had felt so overwhelmed. This was odd, for Levi generally had his shit together. Maybe it was because Hanji was exceptionally annoying. Or maybe it was the confusion that was Eren.

He glanced over at Eren and Hanji. Hanji was making huge movements with her arm, excitedly talking to Eren as Eren rested his head on his hand, nodding along. He looked over at Levi before rolling his eyes, and Levi couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. 

And from there, Levi knew that he would never have to handle Hanji’s drunk ass alone again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm very sorry for the late update! Life gets in the way, I hope you all understand :)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'll try to be more on top of my game. 
> 
> P.S., I got my cousin into Attack on Titan. She is extremely upset that Levi and Eren aren't real.

“Are you done with all your appointments today?”

Eren looked up from his laptop, silently thanking Hanji for only opening his door instead of breaking it. 

“Yeah, I’m done. I’m just finalizing some documents,” replied Eren. “What’s up?”

Hanji grinned. “Are you almost done with your work?” 

She made her way into Eren’s office, plopping on the couch as she took off her shoes and sat cross-legged. Her bag rested against the couch on the floor. Eren quickly made a few notes on his laptop before saving his work and closing it. He leaned back on his chair and sighed, scratching his head.

“I’m done now.”

“Alright, we have time until 1:30pm. Come with me!” Hanji jumped up and ran over, grabbing Eren’s wrist and yanking him off his seat.

“Wait, wher- “

“Oh, and bring your bag, too! We need to blend in.” Hanji motioned to Eren’s bag.

“Blend in? Hanji, what is going on?”

“Oh, Eren, honey. Isn’t it obvious? We’re going to attend one of Levi’s lectures!”

Eren raised his eyebrows. It was, in fact, not obvious to him. Eren never thought that he would go back to his university to sit through a lecture. But, this was Levi’s lecture. He wondered how Levi was in front of a bunch of college students. Eren could imagine Levi being one of those stern professors. Maybe he would also be the kind to throw a book at someone if they weren’t paying attention. This kind of information would only be known if he were to attend Levi’s lecture.

The next thing he knew, he and Hanji were each carrying a cup of iced coffee while walking to Levi’s office. Hanji said that they really had to try to blend in with the students and that they were blessed to have such young-looking visuals. Eren laughed, remembering how he would always have a cup of coffee everywhere he went while he was in university. It was a staple.

They found themselves right in front of Levi’s office moments after. Hanji placed her ear against the door, attempting to eavesdrop to see if Levi was in. Eren rolled his eyes and raised his hand up to knock on the door when the door opened. Hanji stumbled forward and Eren kept his hand up as they were welcomed by Levi’s glare.

“But why?” murmured Levi. He knew better than to ask both of them to leave, especially because Hanji was one of them, so he welcomed them both.

Eren and Hanji stepped in. The office was spacious with a table at one corner and Levi’s desk at another, both mahogany. The table was a circle with papers stacked on it, looking like various essays. On the middle of the table, was a single flower. It was a daffodil in a white skinny vase and was definitely fake. One of the walls was covered by a giant bookshelf, filled with various books. Another wall had a giant whiteboard, with Levi’s neat cursive written all over. The wall was a plain grey, while the floor had decent dark brown carpet. 

“I like your office,” commented Eren as he walked up to Levi’s desk. There was a monitor attached to Levi’s laptop for the double screen. More books were stacked on his desk, with a cup of tea next to an electric boiler. Levi also had a lot of pens in a pencil holder. 

“Thank you,” replied Levi before he pushed Hanji down on a chair where his students would sit. “So, why the fuck are you both here? Eren, don’t answer. I know this little shit is the reason you are here.”

Hanji grinned. “To start things off, the only little shit here is-”

“Fuck off.”

“Okay, okay,” laughed Hanji. “Well, Eren is done with his stuff for the day and I was bored, so we decided to come to see you teach! See, we even look like students!”

Hanji raised her coffee cup while grabbing Eren’s wrist, pulling it up to show his cup.

Levi shook his head. “You guys are dressed too office-like to be students.”

Eren looked down at his attire, which was a navy blue collared shirt and grey slacks. He then glanced at Hanji, who was wearing a white blouse with maroon dress pants. 

“Pfft, I can fix that!” 

Hanji took off her hairband and shook her hair. She unbuttoned her shirt, revealing a cami that she wore under her blouse. She then started to put her hands against Eren’s chest.

“That is assault,” grimaced Levi as he swatted her hand away. Eren blushed, looking at Levi as he scolded Hanji.

“Hey, you should be thankful. Eren, go pop off a few buttons and roll up your sleeves!” demanded Hanji. 

“Eren, you don’t have to listen to her.”

“She’s scary when I don’t do what she says,” said Eren as he started to undo three buttons. He pushed up his sleeves, earning a tsk from Levi.

“What the fuck is that?” Levi motioned to Eren’s arms. “Here, let me fix this shit job.”

Levi grabbed Eren’s left arm, straightening his sleeve before neatly rolling it up. While Eren watched with burning cheeks, Hanji was switching off staring between Levi and Eren, moving closer to their faces slowly.

Eren felt his heart race as Levi gently touched his skin. Levi had cool fingers, contrasting with Eren’s heat. He held his breath as he watched Levi’s fingers, before looking at Levi’s face. 

Levi blinked, and Eren took note of how long his eyelashes were. It framed his eyes well. 

“I can feel your breath on me, Hanji. Back off,” remarked Levi before he patted on Eren’s finished sleeve and moved on to the next one.

“But,” sighed Hanji, waving her arms around. “It’s just _you_ and _him,_ like, _everything_ just seems so cute! The dashing alpha tending to his cheerful omeg-”

“Excuse me?” gasped Eren as he stared at Hanji. “Don’t you dare say that I’m the omega.”

Levi finished up Eren’s sleeve and ruffled his hair. “There, now you look like a handsome college student. And I say this because I am the alpha. It’s very obvious.”

Hanji laughed as Eren groaned in response.

Grabbing his laptop, Levi ushered Hanji and Eren out the door. “Okay, you shits. It’s about time for the lecture to start. Understand that these lectures are longer because it is the summer, so I should not see any of you shits causing any form of distraction by leaving the classroom or anything. I will kick your asses otherwise. Am I clear?”

Hanji and Eren both saluted. “Yes, captain!”

Levi only rolled his eyes as he locked his office door before heading to the classroom, with Eren and Hanji walking behind. Eren stared at the back of Levi’s hair as they took a left. His hair seemed very silky, and he almost wanted to reach out and touch it. Instead, he opted to take a sip of his coffee drink. He then thought about Levi’s touches as he ruffled his hair. It felt nice. Almost like it belonged, but that was a ridiculous thought, right? Eren didn’t know if Levi was interested in men, to begin with. 

The trio took a left, and Eren glanced at Levi’s hair before slowly making his way to his back, covered by a wrinkle-free white button-up. His sleeves were also rolled up like Eren’s, exposing his muscular forearms. Eren always found it attractive whenever he saw the veins slightly pop out of a person’s arms. He started to trail downwards to Levi’s firm -

Eren told himself he needed to calm down as they entered a relatively large classroom. It looked as if it could sit over 200 people. 

“Woooooow,” sighed Hanji as she looked around the lecture hall. “So many chairs! Why are there so many chairs? Do you have a lot of students this summer session?”

Levi grunted. “This is apparently a popular course, and I seem to have some sort of reputation.”

Hanji snorted.

Levi shot eye daggers at her before continuing. “Anyways, yes, courses in the summer are generally at max 60 students, but the university made an exception to this one. I have roughly 170 students right now.”

“Wow, really? Any TAs?” asked Eren.

“No, I grade each paper individually. Yes, I have three TAs. Handpicked them myself.” Levi said as he walked up to the front, grimacing as Hanji waved at the duo, already sitting in the first row.

She extended the desk attached to the chair and placed her laptop on it. Opening it, she looked around her seat.

“Wow, they definitely upgraded since I’ve last been here. It must’ve been at least 10 years!”

Eren agreed as he sat next to Hanji. He remembered this lecture hall. It was where he had all of his research writing courses. He slightly moved side to side, noting the lack of squeaking occurring. He then slowly moved the desk to its place, satisfied with how smooth the moving was.

“Anyways,” Levi started. “Be good and don’t do anything stupid.”

He opened up his laptop and Hanji decided to read some random article on her own. Eren turned around to look at the slow wave of students filling in the seats. He then turned back to see Levi talking to three other people, who he assumed was his teaching assistants. They were all taller than him, but Eren could still tell that Levi released an authoritative aura. Maybe it was his stern face. The one whose hair was framed perfectly. The one with a sharp jawline that he loved oh so much….

Eren shook his head. He told himself to calm down before opening up his laptop and pulling up a new document. Levi looked as if he was about to start class.

The TAs walked away to the side of the lecture hall, and Levi cleared his throat before attaching his microphone to his collar. 

“Good afternoon, class. I’m sure you all have turned in your short story prior to this lesson. If not, do remember that your grade gets lowered by 30%.”

Hanji covered her mouth as if she were holding back a gasp while Eren’s eyes widened. He assumed that Levi was a rough professor, but he was one of _those_ professors. Hopefully, everything else about him makes up for that in the classroom.

“To start off the lecture, pull up something to write or type on. The topic for our freewriting session is... the ocean. The session starts now,” Levi said before sounds of typing and writing filled up the room. He walked up to Hanji and Eren, bending down slightly to talk to them. 

“Ha, you’re bending down,” Hanji sneered. Levi growled before shaking his head.

“Okay, shitfaces. Freewriting is when you write whatever you want. In this case, I gave a topic. You can write about anything in regards to the ocean. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. But just write whatever you want,” explained Levi. Hanji and Eren nodded understandingly. 

“You are my students today,” Levi reminded, and Eren swore he heard Levi’s voice become slightly lower as Levi smirked at Eren. He gulped and immediately looked at his laptop screen, typing about the time Armin got stung by a jellyfish at the beach. The memory calmed him down, and he had almost a whole page typed out before Levi called time.

As Levi continued with his lecture, Eren spotted from the corner of his eye Hanji slowly nodding her head. He chuckled to himself, recognizing the action too well. She was tired, and he could tell that Hanji was not trying to be rude but, hey, it happens. 

The class was in a discussion about a Sylvia Path story that they were supposed to read last night. Eren noted how Levi did not lead the conversation but instead prompted the students to do so. He would make some comments here and there, but he mainly gave attention to the class.

Meanwhile, Eren’s attention was directed towards Levi’s arms, still slightly exposed with his sleeves rolled up. He watched as Levi brushed his hair slightly away before Levi picked up a pencil. He started to twirl it around to his side, making him appear almost ninja-like to Eren. 

_Perhaps he was preparing to stab anyone who dared to expose his undercover FBI stuff._

There was something about Levi that Eren couldn’t pinpoint. He wasn’t sure why he was paying extra attention to Levi’s features. The other day, Levi was drinking his tea and Eren watched as he grabbed the rim of his cup before bringing it up to his luscious lips. And after he drank some tea, the man licked his upper lip and Eren felt a bead of sweat appear on his forehead. 

Levi also wore glasses at night as he graded papers. He would sit down in front of the television, tea prepared while his hand scribbled stuff on a large stack of papers. Eren liked to sit next to Levi to watch some cooking show and occasionally look at Levi. He had thick black-framed glasses that suited Levi’s sharp personality well. Eren would watch Levi’s eyes skim papers before moving down to Levi’s fingers writing cursive with a pen. 

Eren found himself thinking a lot about Levi. He didn’t know why and didn’t want to come off as weird to his housemate. He made a mental note to call Armin whenever he had time.

He glanced over to Hanji, who was completely asleep. Levi proceeded to make a comment about someone’s statement as he walked over to Hanji and practically slammed a pen against her forehead. Hanji immediately woke up and the classroom became dead silent. Some had their mouths wide open, others were looking with wide eyes, and then there were those who kept glancing between Levi and Hanji. Regardless, no one dared to sleep.

“Excuse me, but do not sleep in my classroom,” Levi scolded. Hanji was about to open her mouth before realizing her environment and nodded. Levi resumed the class conversation and Eren looked over to see Hanji trying to hide her laughter.

Eren concluded that Hanji had no fear in life. 

The class was then over, and Levi stayed at the front to talk to a few students who had pondering questions. Some of those students would glance over at Hanji, who was talking to Eren about her freewriting about the time she swam with a dolphin. Eren chuckled at the reaction and knew that Hanji really wasn’t that phased by Levi’s actions. The woman was used to Levi. Nothing he could do could scare her.

In a matter of minutes, Levi, Hanji, and Eren were the only people left in the classroom. 

Hanji started cackling.

“Did you see the entire class? Pffft, that shit was HILARIOUS!” Hanji managed to spit out.

“You piece of shit, you fell asleep in my class. Of course, I did do something to you. That’s rude as fuck,” Levi responded as he gathered all of his things. 

Hanji placed her hands up in defense. “Okay, okay, yeah, but I was getting sleeeeeeepy.”

Eren rolled his eyes. “You literally bought coffee to stay awake and fit in.”

“But the ultimate way of fitting in with college students is to fall asleep during lectures!” Hanji said.

Levi tsked. “Whatever. I’m leaving.”

“Oooh, I’ll walk out with you! I have to go to a meeting anyway,” exclaimed Hanji.

Eren stood up with his stuff all packed. “I’ll walk with you home, Levi.”

Levi nodded as the trio walked out of the lecture hall and out of the building. Hanji was excitedly talking about something that Eren was not listening to, for he could only focus on Levi’s forearms. He noticed some veins popping out, in the way that a model would be pictured. 

The more he thought about it, the more he decided that Levi would be a nice model. He obviously had the body for it, his face was beautiful, and basically everything about Levi was-

Eren stopped his train of thought. He told himself that he needed to chill. He should not be having such thoughts about his housemate. Right? Right. 

...Right?

He needed a nice cold shower when he got back to the apartment. 

Hanji departed from Eren and Levi, and the duo reached their apartment before Levi popped off a few buttons on his shirt. Eren watched as Captain trotted over to them. He crouched down to pet the cat before Captain went back to the couch, curling up into a ball.

“So, how was attending class?” asked Levi, eyeing Eren as he finished unbuttoning his top buttons. 

“Erm, it was nice. I like the free writing stuff,” replied Eren. “It just felt hard to follow the class discussion though, since I didn’t read.”

Levi grunted in response as he went to his room to put away his stuff. He went back out and made a beeline to the kitchen, grabbing two mugs to prepare some tea.

“Jasmine tea okay today?” asked Levi.

“Yeah,” responded Eren, who had made himself comfortable on the couch next to Captain, stroking the cat. He watched Levi’s back as he prepared the boiler. Levi’s shirt crinkled with his arm movements, and Eren found himself watching Levi’s ass as Levi walked over to the other side of the kitchen to grab some loose tea leaves. Levi’s bubble butt was absolutely stunning. Eren concluded that it must be firm. He wanted to get up and squeeze the raven-haired man’s-

Eren felt himself getting hot. He decided to unbutton his shirt completely, fanning himself with his hand. Levi had, by then, walked over with two hot mugs of Jasmine tea. 

He stopped in front of the couch, and Eren almost felt his stare as Levi eyed the almost shirtless man. 

“Excellent choice, Jaeger,” Levi smirked. Eren looked up at the man, gulping. 

“Uhh, yeah, it is kind of hot in here,” Eren nervously chuckled. Levi placed down the mugs on the coffee table.

“I see, saving energy by not adjusting the thermostat,” Levi commented. “You know what? I’ll do the same.”

Before Eren could question what he meant, Levi reached up to his buttons and started undoing them in front of Eren. Eren wanted to look away from Levi’s stare, but he couldn’t. Those greyish-blue eyes were captivating and demanded attention.

They maintained eye contact before Levi decided to slip off his shirt completely and sat down right next to Eren. Only a few inches separated them from each other, and Eren found himself holding his breath. It was as if the room became even hotter.

Levi chuckled a bit before smirking again. “I’d wait a bit for the tea to cool down so that you don’t get even hotter.”

Eren wanted to shove a pillow against his face and scream. He wanted to ask why Levi said that with a lower tone than usual, and why it was painfully hot. Why Levi decided to sit shirtless and right next to him, too, where he could finally see Levi’s well-built body that was most certainly model material. Captain lifted his head to see Levi on the other side of Eren before disregarding everything else and taking a nap.

He refrained from grabbing a pillow.

“Y-y-yeah, I’m going to do that,” stuttered Eren. He watched Levi as Levi placed his arm on the back of the couch, seemingly putting his arm around Eren. Eren felt himself sweating a bit; his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. 

A few moments passed, and Levi looked as if he were enjoying it. Eren cursed in his mind, unsure of what was happening.

Suddenly, Levi got up and stretched. Eren watched Levi’s body. Every curve was right there in front of him, and he almost had the urge to reach out his hand and touch Levi’s porcelain skin. 

“You can get a shower first if you want,” said Levi. “I can call in an order to Mr. Arlet’s restaurant if you want to join.”

Eren let out some air. “Yeah, could I have something with pasta, please? You can choose.”

Levi nodded. He grabbed his phone out of his pocket before glancing over at Eren. Eren thought he saw a wink as Levi whispered in a deep, arousing voice.

_“Enjoy your shower.”_

Eren didn’t say anything in response, but simply nodded and rushed to get in the shower. He was going to have his nice, cold shower. Solely because the apartment was hot. The temperature was wild. Yup. Very hot. 

_Just like Levi._

Eren banged his head against the shower wall.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! To make up for my late update previously, here is a quick update now!

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Lunch today?_

**[Armin Arlet]**

_Yes! My grandfather’s?_

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Of course!_

  
  


Eren laid in bed, staring at the ceiling before he grabbed his panda from the floor and dragged it up next to him. He felt flustered and confused. Levi was acting so… unexpected for most of yesterday. When dinner came, they ate together normally. Levi talked to him about how his class was going, and Eren talked about a new skincare routine that he was thinking about starting since he didn’t have one to begin with. Afterward, Levi started grading his students’ latest assignment while Eren decided to take an early night in his room, despite it being the start of the weekend. He didn’t understand why Levi suddenly resorted back to being how he was before. 

Maybe he was overanalyzing the situation. Maybe Levi did not intend to act like that. All seductive and stuff. Besides, why was Eren so deep in thought about it? It’s not like he had a crush on Levi or anything. 

He would perhaps talk to Armin about it later during lunch.

After laying in bed more, Eren finally got up and stretched before cracking his back in the process. He made his bed, placing his panda right in the middle. He felt bad that he had been letting his panda lay on the ground for some time. The panda also needed a name.

He recalled from his memory that Suzuki was the most common name in Japan. 

_Alright, why the hell not? Panda, your new name is Suzuki._

Eren was about to grab his t-shirt, but then decided against it. He didn’t feel like it today. Instead, he put on a pair of grey shorts and walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth. After brushing his teeth, he pulled out his phone to look at the skincare routine he had written down. 

Going from the lightest to heaviest face product, Eren finally finished the routine with some sunscreen before walking into the kitchen. Levi was sitting on the dining table with his laptop and a giant stack of papers. He wore his glasses, focusing on the screen as he read over a few emails. His shirt was only a plain white and he also had his plaid black pajama pants on. 

“Good morning,” Eren called out.

“Morning,” murmured Levi as he typed away on his laptop.

Eren went to grab a mug before glancing over at Levi to see that he had no mug out. It was a strange sight indeed, but Eren brushed it off.

“Do you want any coffee? I’m planning on making some for myself,” asked Eren.

Levi looked up from his laptop and was about to speak when he paused. He glanced at Eren’s shorts before slowly making his way to Eren’s torso, and then to his eyes. Eren chose this moment to stretch, and he swore that Levi’s eyes widened just a tad bit. They held eye contact for a few minutes before Levi nodded his head. 

“Yes, black please,” Levi said before returning to his work. Eren almost thought that he had some pink on his cheeks, but didn’t want to stare at the raven-haired man for too long. He turned around and prepared coffee for the two of them in the coffee maker. As Eren waited for the coffee to be brewed, he went through his text messages.

**[Armin Arlet]**

_What time were you thinking?_

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Well, since it is maybe 10:30 in the morning, do you want to meet up in 2 hours?_

**[Armin Arlet]**

_Sure!_

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Yay_

Eren was about to put his phone down when he received another text.

  
  


**[Hanji Zoe]**

_My darling fruit ball!!!!! What’s Levi doing????_

  
  


Eren looked up his phone to see Levi still working on his laptop, occasionally taking a break to look at some papers next to him.

  
  


**[Eren Jaeger]**

_He looks productive. Why?_

**[Hanji Zoe]**

_N i c e I’m coming over_

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Wait_

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Wat_

  
  


“Um…” Eren said as he poured coffee in both mugs before bringing them over to Levi. He took the seat next to Levi after placing the mugs down. 

“So Hanji’s coming?”

Levi groaned. “Fuck my ass. She didn’t even text me.” He took a sip of coffee before perking his right eyebrow up. 

“Say, this is pretty good. You really have good taste, brat,” Levi complimented.

Eren lit up at the compliment. “Thanks. I got it imported from Vietnam.”

_Compliment me more, Levi._

“Well, not surprised. Have you ever had their _cà phê sữa đá_?” questioned Levi.

“Um, isn’t that the Vietnamese coffee drink with condensed milk and ice, but in Vietnamese?”

Levi took another sip of his coffee. “Wow, Eren, you intelligent brat. Yes, it is.”

Eren gleamed before realizing that he was thriving on Levi’s compliments. He felt his cheeks starting to burn, so he quickly grabbed his mug and took a long sip out of it, enjoying the blend. 

He and Levi sat in silence, with the occasional sounds of Levi’s laptop. Eren propped his head with his arm as he rested his head on his palm. He looked over at Levi. Eren felt a lot at ease. Him, Levi, and some good coffee.

“Whatcha working on?” asked Eren.

“I’m responding to a shit load of emails,” grumbled Levi before a final click. “There, I’m done.”

“Nice,” replied Eren.

Levi leaned back on his chair, stretching before grabbing another sip of his coffee. He couldn’t help but glance over Eren’s body and quickly turned away when he realized that he may have been looking for too long. Eren noticed it and smiled to himself.

“What plans do you have today?”

Levi sighed. “Well, I was going to read a nice book, but I guess that’s ruined because shitface is coming over.”

Eren laughed, and Levi couldn’t help but chuckle quietly along. 

“She is a handful,” remarked Eren. 

Levi couldn’t agree more. “What are you doing today?”

“Well, I’m going to see Armin for lunch today. Then, I’m not sure,” said Eren.

“Armin?” 

“His grandfather owns that shop you like so much. But Armin’s a great guy! He works as a detective, and one of the best ones in the country actually! The FBI wanted to recruit him, but he turned down the offer to stay local near his grandfather,” Eren explained. He couldn’t wait to see Armin today. It has been a while, and he knew that Armin had been working on a big case. The fact that he was free for lunch might be because the case was done. 

Levi watched as Eren’s excitement about his friend got to him. The image that Eren presented seemed refreshing to him, but he couldn’t help but feel… jealous? Jealous that Armin was such an important person in his life?

_What’s going on with me?_

“He sounds like a great guy,” Levi replied, dismissing his thought. 

Eren nodded. “Yes! I would love for you two to meet! Gotta have the best friend meet the new person in my life, am I right?”

Eren and Levi stared at each other, realizing what Eren had just said. It was meant to be a harmless comment but for some reason, there was a weird tone to it. Like, some sort of hidden tone. 

After an awkward silence, Eren chugged his coffee and got up. 

“I’m gonna wash my cup.”

“Yes, washing the cup is good and clean,” Levi quickly responded as he gathered up his things. “I’m going to get ready for shithead’s arrival.”

“Yeah.”

As Levi went into his room, Eren let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. What is this? He didn’t want things to be awkward with Levi. He also didn’t know what was happening. First, Levi came into his life being this cool potential FBI guy, then he started to be undeniably sexy (well, he was already sexy, but yesterday was exceptional), and now, he was acting like nothing happened the day before.

Eren sighed as he washed his mug before letting it dry on the drying rack. He went back to his room, glancing at Levi’s door. Levi had left it open and was shirtless, but facing away from Eren. Eren gulped before going into his room, back against the closed door. 

_Fuck._

Eren looked down to see a tent forming in his khakis. He groaned and face-palmed himself before going to his closet and picking out a plain navy blue shirt to wear. Trying to ignore the memory of Levi’s back muscles, Eren decided to do some yoga stretches.

_I’ve seen Levi’s body a few times. Why now, must my dick think it gotta grow?_

Eren started at warrior’s pose, legs shoulder-width apart before turning and sticking his arms out to the side. After holding the post for some time, he moved into a downward dog pose, bending his body down so that his butt was sticking up.

He held the pose, but his mind started to wander, imaging Levi’s hands grabbing Eren’s waist as he moved closer to fuck Eren’s-

Eren slapped himself but forgot that he was bent forward and fell. He laid down on his floor, slowly letting his hand glide to his crotch with the thought of Levi in his mind when he heard an all-too-familiar scream.

Eren no longer had a boner.

He shook his head, not believing that something scandalous could’ve happened. Eren got up and walked out of his room to greet Hanji, who was on the floor with Levi’s foot planted on her back.

“Oh, hi, Eren!” Hanji greeted with a huge smile.

“Hi,” Eren waved. He thanked the Gods that Hanji intruded, but Levi obviously did not think the same.

“So,” started Eren. “Why are you on the ground?”

“Shitface tried to kiss my cheek,” Levi grimaced. “Hey shitface, don’t you have a boyfriend to attend to?”

“Moblit? W-we aren’t dating!” Hanji exclaimed, getting flustered.

Eren raised his eyebrow. “But you called him your baby not long ago?”

“Okay, well, Moblit and I are just close friends. We aren’t dating. Nope. Nada. Levi, nice hair. It looks soft. Did you shower today?” Hanji trailed on, avoiding the topic of Moblit.

“Moblit and Hanji like each other but they are too chicken to do something about it,” said Levi nonchalantly. 

“Levi!” whined Hanji. 

“Wait,” Eren said as he sat next to Hanji, who was still on the floor. “Spill the tea. I want more deets. I never knew all this.”

“He’s Moblit,” started Hanji. “He’s a nurse right now. We’ve known each other since college and he lived in Levi’s suite freshman year, which is how I know him.”

“Yeah, and this shit,” Levi pushed down further against Hanji’s back. “Is a dense motherfucker and they both are afraid to acknowledge their own feelings.”

“Levi! Leave her alone,” Eren said. Levi glared at Hanji before reluctantly leaving up his foot. Hanji immediately ran to Captain, who was sleeping on the floor next to the balcony door. He raised his head, looked at Hanji, and then ran into Eren’s room. Eren laughed at the sight.

“See, even Captain doesn’t want your face here,” Levi remarked, shaking his head. 

For a couple of hours, Levi, Eren, and Hanji sat in the living room, talking about random stuff as Captain came back out and sat on Levi’s lap. 

“I think Erwin needs someone in his life,” Hanji commented.

Levi nodded. “I can see why you would think that.”

Hanji looked at Eren. “Have you met Erwin?”

Eren shook his head. “Nope.”

“He’s the head of the history department at Trost,” Levi explained. “He’s a brainiac, and he always seems to be 15 steps ahead of you. It’s kind of odd. But he’s still a great man. Formal on the outside, but stupid on the inside. I’ll introduce you two some time.”

Eren pulled out his phone, seeing that it was about time to leave the apartment to see Armin. He got up and petted Captain’s fur before waving to Hanji and Levi.

“I’m going to meet Armin. I’ll see you guys later!” Eren left afterward.

Hanji and Levi watched as Eren left before Hanji mischievously turned her head to Levi. 

Levi groaned. “What.”

Meanwhile, Eren was making his way to Papa Arlet’s cafe. When he got there, he was greeted by Sasha before she resumed tending the customer at the register. Connie was making a drink for another customer but waved to the brunet. Eren grinned before he made his way to one of the window tables, where Armin sat with a book. Armin had on a regular white t-shirt with green khakis. Over his chair was a light purple button-up and Eren chuckled to himself. Armin was always the type to be generally cold, so it wasn’t unusual to see the blond carrying around some sort of covering. His hair was also in a blond bun, and a few of his bangs framed his dark brown glasses.

Armin closed his book as he saw Eren approach the table. 

“Hey,” greeted Armin. 

Eren pulled out the chair in front of Armin. “What’s popping?”

“I finished a huge case. It was cool and tiring, but I’m so glad we are done. I have a few days to just enjoy myself before I get assigned another case,” reported Armin. “You?”

“Well, same old, same old. I did recently get a new flatmate. He’s a friend of Hanji.”

Armin perked his eyebrow up. “Really now?”

“He’s kind of mysterious, but he is an English professor at Trost. His name is Levi and he’s kind of cool, too. I actually watched him lecture once with Hanji. The man knows how to establish his dominance,” Eren explained as he rested his chin on his hand, dreamily sighing as he thought about Levi’s arms. 

Armin laughed. “Oh, man. Eren, you look like you really admire him.”

Eren nodded. “He’s admirable.”

Eren went on, filling in Armin about Levi. Armin nodded occasionally, absorbing every word that dropped out of Eren’s mouth. They paused for a bit to order some lunch. Armin ordered a BLT with a side of fruit and coffee while Eren ordered a triple BLT with avocado and turkey, with a side of a salad and chips. 

“But, wait! Let me tell you about this confusing ass shit.” The man jerked up, sitting straight as Armin nodded, ready for the whirlwind of words that Eren was going to throw at him.

“Literally yesterday, I couldn’t stop thinking about Levi’s hair. That man looks like he has soft hair and I want to touch it. And his arms. I noticed that he has nice arms. And I feel myself wanting to look at his.... booty. And later, when we got back from Trost, he took off his shirt because it was hot and he started talking in a deep voice, and then I got all flustered and went to go shower and I had to take a cold shower,” Eren rambled.

“Sounds like you kind of developed a crush on him,” Armin nonchalantly said. 

Eren squinted at Armin. “Say what now?”

Armin crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees. “Hear me out. You get flustered. You think he’s cool. And it’s kind of cute how you light up talking about him.”

Eren and Armin both stared at each other for a few moments.

“Say what now?”

"I bet you want him to tie you up on the bed, with your legs spread wide open for him as he touches your thighs and moves his fingers up to your cock. You are begging for him to-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Eren gritted through his teeth, checking his surroundings to make sure no one heard the dirty blond. 

"What?" Armin eyed Eren innocently.

"I don't think of Levi like that!"

Armin rolled his eyes. “Are you an idiot?”

“I can answer that for you,” a third voice chimed in. Eren and Armin looked up to see Papa Arlet carrying both their trays of food.

“Pops!” Armin exclaimed, taking the trays off his hands before giving his grandfather a hug. Papa Arlet chuckled as he ruffled Armin’s hair.

“Hey,” Armin whined as he touched his hair. “You messed up my bun.”

While Armin fixed his bun, Papa Arlet placed his hand on Eren’s shoulder. “You can be an idiot sometimes.”

Eren glared at Armin before looking at his grandfather. “I feel very loved. Thank you for this.”

“He’s talking about his new flatmate who he totally has a crush on but is too dense to realize,” Armin explained. Papa Arlet perked up.

“Ah, was that the gentleman who I saw you with the last time you were here?” asked Papa Arlet. Eren nodded in response.

“I like him. He became a regular and you two seemed to get along together. I’m proud of you,” said Papa Arlet.

“Okay,” began Eren. “You said last time, too. What does that even mean?”

“He’s proud of you for finding a suitable companion,” Armin bluntly said. Eren rolled his eyes but Papa Arlet hummed in agreement. 

“It’s a vibe I get.”

“Or you're growing old,” Eren teased. Papa Arlet lightly smacked Eren’s head before laughing. 

“There was something about him that felt unique,” continued Armin’s grandfather. “But, I’m going to go help out at the counter. The lunch crowd is picking up. Enjoy your lunch, boys.”

“See you later, Pops!”

Armin and Eren waved at the older man before digging into their meals. 

“Enough about me,” Eren said between bites. “Have you found yourself a cute girl? Or a cute guy?”

Armin rolled his eyes. “No, I haven’t found anyone yet. Maybe I’m picky. Or maybe I’m just bound to be forever alone.”

“Shut up! You will not be forever alone, my little mushroom.”

“You’re going to prevent all of my secret admirers from approaching me with your language and nicknames, dumbass.”

“Armin!”

The duo laughed. 

“I’ll find you someone before this summer ends. How about that?” Eren proposed.

Armin shrugged. “Sure. Good luck finding my suitable companion though.”

“I am very good at challenges.”

The two men continued to eat and catch up. Armin talked about how he was thinking about starting to prepare himself for a 5k, and Eren teased about how Armin had to first learn how to run. Eren talked about his new skincare routine, and the duo had been in the cafe for over 2 hours before Armin got up.

“I’m going to go home and maybe take a nap.”

Eren exaggeratedly gasped. “Armin Arlet? Napping?”

Armin pushed against Eren’s head. “Even I could appreciate a nap here and there. I woke up at 6am today.”

“Okay, understandable,” chuckled Eren. I’ll see you later, okay? Enjoy your days off! Soon, you’re going to enjoy them with a special person!”

Armin rolled his eyes before hugging Eren. “Have fun going back home to Leeeevi!” Armin sang Levi’s name as he laughed at Eren’s face as it turned red. 

Eren quickly brushed off Armin’s comment before they cleaned up and parted ways. 

When he got back to the apartment, Levi and Hanji were sitting on the couch. Captain was on Levi’s lap.

“Welcome, Eren!” Hanji greeted excitedly.

“I found your friend Erwin a new boyfriend,” Eren grinned. 

Levi stared at Eren. Did Eren somehow find someone for his picky-as-fuck friend? He never even met Erwin before. 

“Say what now?”


	7. Chapter 7

Levi stared at Eren as Hanji gawked happily. 

“You never met Erwin before and here you are, thinking that your friend - mind you, that neither of us met - is the perfect one for him?” Levi asked. 

"Actually, I ran into Armin a few times," Hanji spoke out.

Eren nodded.

Levi facepalmed his forehead. “Jaeger, you are truly a dumbass.”

“Actually,” started Hanji. “I’m interested in setting them up together! Fun stuff. Tell me about Armin. All I know is that he's a cute little man who helps out his grandfather at the cafe sometimes.”

Eren sat on the floor near Levi. Captain stretched out his body on Levi’s lap before leaping over to Eren’s lap, where Eren immediately placed his hand on Captain’s back to pet him. 

“He’s blond. He’s really, really smart. Maintained a 4.0 all of his time studying in both undergraduate and graduate schools. Has a PhD in Criminology. Honestly makes decent money because of his contributions to society, like the great man he is. Always cold, I swear. Like, physically cold. Not cold personality like Levi."

Levi glared at Eren.

"Likes to read in his free time,” Eren listed out, ignoring the glare. 

Hanji and Levi listened intently. While Levi occasionally nodded, Hanji stared at Eren with a huge smile and beaming eyes. After Eren listed off some other qualities of Armin, Hanji and Levi both looked at each other.

“Aish, you’re so ugly,” remarked Levi as Hanji stared at him. “Fine, anything to get the Shit Brows laid.”

“Whoopee!” Hanji screamed and jumped off the couch, startling Captain before he scooted even closer to Eren’s stomach. “I love matchmaking!”

Levi scoffed. “What, like you have experience?”

“Uh…” Hanji slowly sat herself down on the couch before Levi kicked her onto the floor. She winced at the pain but laughed before making herself comfortable. Eren decided to move his way to Hanji’s previous position with Captain, with Levi scooting himself slightly to make room for the brunet. 

“Noooo,” drawled out Hanji. “But the concept seems cool.”

Levi looked at both Eren and Hanji before tsking. “Well, if the shitty brat wants to and if Shitty Glasses wants to, I can’t say no.”

Eren and Hanji high-fived each other and laughed while Levi rolled his eyes. 

“So, what should we do?” asked Eren.

“I say we shove them both in a closet and let their chemistry do the talking!”

“Hanji, you dumbass.”

“You never agree with my ideas,” pouted Hanji.

“Because they’re dumb as fuck,” sneered Levi. “We will not do anything that would cause any discomfort to either party involved.”

“You’re no fun.”

While Hanji and Levi bickered, Eren thought to himself. Armin probably wouldn’t want to meet up one-on-one with someone he had just met unless it were for work. He’d probably feel awkward and would rather have Eren there. But that would mean that Eren would be third-wheeling.

“We could set up a group thing,” proposed Eren, stopping Levi from almost strangling Hanji. 

Both gave their full attention to Eren as he held Captain to his chest. Captain tried to squirm out of Eren’s grasp, but then gave up and tried to make himself as comfortable as he could. 

“For Armin, he would be kind of intimidated to meet with someone for the first time by himself outside of work. He’ll be more comfortable with other people. If I’m there, he’ll definitely be more comfortable. But I don’t want to third wheel, so maybe you guys can be Erwin’s wing peeps. We can meet at Papa Arlet’s cafe.”

Hanji placed her hand on her chest. “Papa Arlet! I miss his pesto pasta. I’m down, I’ll do it. And Levi will, too!”

Eren glanced at Levi questionably, who shrugged in response.

“I don’t have a choice here.”

“This is a choice with no regrets,” Eren said, winking at Levi, who only rolled his eyes in response. Hanji watched their interaction happily.

“Alright, you lovebirds, hehe, when is this happening?”

After Hanji teased both guys about their slight blushing and coordinating with everybody, it was decided that they would meet at Papa Arlet’s cafe for dinner tomorrow. Hanji was excited, for it was very soon and she was more than eager to get the ball rolling. Eren was ecstatic to see Armin again so soon and Levi was looking forward to trying a new sandwich. 

“Well, that being said, I’m going to go check on my hammy hamsters! Dress smart tomorrow, boys,” Hanji said as she wiggled her eyebrows and within seconds, she was out of the flat. 

Eren and Levi stared at the door before Eren turned to face the raven-haired man.

“Why do we associate ourselves with her?” asked Eren.

“Sometimes, you just have no choice,” sighed Levi as he got up and walked up to the fridge. Eren took out his phone and mindlessly scrolled through his social media feeds as Captain slept on his lap.

“Tea?” Levi called out from the kitchen.

“Yeah, surprise me. Thanks,” replied Eren as he watched a cooking video of someone making Korean fried chicken. It got him thinking about how often he did not go all out to cook. Ordering take out was simply easier and convenient, but he had the time today to fix up something. He decided to look through some recipe videos for inspiration.

Levi placed down two mugs on the coffee table before sitting down next to Eren and opening up a book he had been reading. Eren glanced over to look at the blue hardcover book before snickering.

“You’re reading _A Tale of Two Cities_? How basic could you get?”

Levi playfully hit Eren’s head with the book. “This is actually my first time reading through it properly, you brat. I heard it was a popular book to read in high school, but my English teachers back then were like ‘nah,’ so here I am.”

Eren nodded. “I had an assignment with that book long ago. My English teacher actually discouraged us from reading it and told us to just look it up on the Internet.”

“I’ll let you read it after I’m done if you want,” offered Levi.

“Sure,” shrugged Eren as he carefully grabbed his mug. He took a whiff of the smell, detecting hints of vanilla and lavender. 

“Is this the Lavender Vanilla Earl Grey?”

Levi nodded. “I smelled it and couldn’t resist.”

The two men sat down on the couch, sipping on tea. Eren continued to go through some recipe videos while Levi read his book. Captain made his way between the two fellows, squishing himself between their thighs. His head rested against Levi’s thigh while his tail sprawled across Eren’s lap. 

Eren couldn’t help but feel almost content with everything that was going on. He was relaxing on the couch with a nice cat, enjoying some tea and some piano music that Levi had put on in the background some time ago. Having Levi in the same room was very comforting. 

_It would be even nicer if Captain scooted over to Levi’s lap fully. That way, I could lean against Levi’s shoulder and he could put his arm around me, and-_

_Wait._

Eren took a huge breath to calm himself down. He felt his heart starting to speed up and although he managed to look fine on the outside, he was not fine on the inside. Why was he daydreaming about Levi being affectionate with him? Does Levi even have the ability to be affectionate with anyone besides Captain?

He subtly looked at Levi, watching as Levi pushed his glasses up with his middle finger before turning a page. Levi looked flawless as he read each word carefully. Eren wanted to reach out and brush his fingers against Levi’s dark hair. But, Levi would probably do some ninja move against Eren because he secretly worked for the FBI and has to be prepared at all times. Eren’s experiences for fighting mainly came from Jean and his white belt in karate. Maybe Levi could teach him some pointers. 

_And maybe after Levi and I practice together, he would tell me to try to make a move on him. I would laugh and tell him that he is too strong for me. Levi would smirk in response before motioning me to come with his finger. I would try to land a punch on him, but he would quickly grab my arm and we would fall on the floor. He would pin me down on the ground and I would be breathing heavily. His knee is dangerously close to my -_

“What do you want for dinner?!” Eren exclaimed a bit louder than necessary. His loud voice startled Captain, who jumped off the couch and darted to the corner of the living room where all of his toys were. Levi raised his eyebrow at the brunet.

“Brat, why so loud?”

“Sorry,” Eren said sheepishly. “Anyways, what do you want for dinner? I kind of want to cook and was curious if you wanted to join.”

Levi closed his book and thought for a brief moment. 

“I’m kind of feeling Korean food today.”

“Ooh, do you want to make tteokbokki? I saw a recipe video not too long ago,” suggested Eren.

“I’m down.”

“Great.”

“Cool.”

And with that, the duo found themselves at their local Asian market. Levi was thankful for the proximity of Asian food.

“Wait, so you’re French, Jewish, and Japanese?” asked Eren as he grabbed a package of rice cakes.

“Yes, my mom was half Japanese and half Jewish while my dad was full French,” Levi responded as he grabbed some fishcakes. “What about yourself? Your last name says German.”

Eren nodded. “My dad was German and the same with my mom, but she had some Turkish blood in her.”

Levi and Eren walked around the market more as they filled up the cart with various ingredients for the tteokbokki. 

“What about Mikasa and Armin?” 

“Mikasa is Japanese and I think she has some Jewish blood in her. Ha, imagine if you and her were related,” laughed Eren. “Armin is English. He suspects that there is some Swedish in him, but I don’t know. Did we grab the red pepper paste?”

“The gochujang? Yes,” said Levi as he peeked in the cart. They had rice cakes, fishcakes, a head of cabbage, carrots, onions, and gochujang. The other items they needed were back at the apartment. 

Eren placed the Korean fire noodles in the cart, grinning mischievously at Levi as he did so. Levi rolled his eyes and placed the 2x Korean fire noodles in the cart also, smirking as he stared at Eren right in the eye.

After checking out their groceries (Eren had won the battle of who would pay) and walking back to their apartments, Levi started washing and cutting all the vegetables as Eren prepared the tteokbokki paste. He added honey (instead of sugar), gochujang, soy sauce, and some pepper flakes in a small bowl before mixing them. Setting the bowl aside, he started boiling a few eggs before grabbing the chopped vegetables from Levi, who started to cut the fishcakes. While Eren pulled out the pot for the dish, Levi finished up cutting the fishcakes and grabbed two packets of ramen. He pulled out the uncooked ramen noodles and placed the sauce packets to the side in a cabinet. 

Once Eren finished assembling all the ingredients, he boiled the pot full of water before adding in all the ingredients. 

“Does it matter to you if we just use regular water instead of a particular broth?” asked Eren.

Levi shrugged as he took the boiled eggs off the stove. “Even if it did, it would’ve been too late.”

“Touché.”

While Levi peeled the eggs, Eren grabbed two bowls and some chopsticks before cooking a cup of rice in the rice cooker. He grabbed some seaweed, two wine glasses, and a bottle of wine.

He didn’t even realize what he was doing until he found himself placing a candle in the middle of the dining table. Eren then blinked a few times and stepped back. He had poured out two glasses of white wine and arranged the plates so that Levi and Eren were sitting across from each other. 

_It was like a date._

“Hello, Earth to Eren.”

Eren snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Levi, who was staring right at him.

“Do you need me to turn on the fan? You looked kind of flushed,” asked Levi as he stepped closer to examine Eren’s face. “Do you want to postpone this and have some soup instead?”

“No, it’s fine, I was just zoning out,” assured Eren as he stepped away and moved a fork a millimeter to the side. “Anyways, what’s the update on the food?”

“By the time we almost finish eating the tteokbokki, the rice will be done. I think we’re all set,” Levi said before he crossed his arms. “Are you sure you are okay?”

“Yes,” Eren said.

He then smiled gently. “I really want to do this with you.”

He and Levi made brief eye contact, and Levi widened his eyes a bit before he coughed and turned to the kitchen.

“Sounds good. I’ll get the tteokbokki,” Levi said. 

Eren silently facepalmed himself. He probably made Levi feel uncomfortable. Why did he have to say that?

“And for the record,” Levi said as he brought over the pot. He placed it down on the table on a trivet before looking up at Eren with the faintest of smiles on his lips.

“I’m anticipating a good dinner,” Levi whispered. Immediately, he turned away and looked at the dinner table. Eren stood still as he watched Levi figure out if there was anything missing from the already prepared table. 

A few moments passed before Eren and Levi sat down across from each other. Eren and Levi silently placed food on their dishes before Eren awkwardly tapped Levi’s fork with his own. 

“Cheers,” Eren smiled, and all of the awkwardness disappeared. Levi smiled back before they started eating. 

“This is good,” Levi said.

Eren nodded. “I’m very pleased. I made it a little bit on the spicier side, so I’m really glad you like it.”

“Yeah, I saw you placed the fire noodles in the cart.”

“And I saw you placed the two times fire noodles in the cart.”

The Korean fire noodles were considered one of the spiciest ramen noodles created. Many would do challenges where they would eat the noodles and test their tolerance. Eren knew this and was intrigued by Levi’s decision.

“Have you ever had one before?”

Levi shook his head. “Have you?”

“No, I’ve never had them. I’ve only had the regular ones and they’re plenty tasty.”

Levi chuckled. “Well, this would be a new experience for both of us. Don’t be sad when you find out I have a better tolerance than you.”

He held out his glass and Eren laughed before clinking it with his own.

“Whatever you say.”

The two quietly ate their food in peace and soon, left on the pot was some sauce. Eren got up to place some rice on the pot before he crumbled the dried seaweed in the pot. Levi started stirring the pot to make fried rice. 

“Honestly, if you don’t do this after you finish most of your tteokbokki, then you suck,” Eren claimed.

“Agreed,” said Levi as he scooped some rice into Eren’s plate before doing so on his own. Before he could dig in, Eren’s fork was in front of his face. 

Levi stared at Eren’s fork before at Eren himself, who was waiting as if he were expecting something. 

“Cheers.”

Levi grimaced. “Your mouth has been in that.”

“Cheers.”

They stayed like that for a bit before Levi sighed and tapped Eren’s fork with his own. 

“Cheers, you brat.”

Eren beamed before he started digging in. Levi rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help smiling at the younger’s expression.

“My favorite part is the slightly crunchy rice,” Eren said before shoving a large spoonful of rice in his mouth. 

“I agree,” said Levi. They both finished up the pot while drinking their wines, talking about their interests in Korean food. 

Two bottles of wine later and a struggle to properly clean the dishes, Eren and Levi were sitting on the couch with Captain on the table looking at them.

“You literally had one singular bottle of wine,” Levi stated.

“Shut uuup!” Eren slurred. “It’s not my fault you can handle your alcohol well. Captain! Who do you love more?”

Captain meowed. 

Levi laughed. “He said me.”

“Noooo,” drawled out Eren. “You don’t speak cat.”

Captain leaped over to Levi’s lap. 

“I think I’m correct,” Levi said before stopping in his tracks. He saw Eren stick out his lower lip.

“Eren…”

“I’m not about to cry, you are,” whimpered Eren. 

“I am not drunk enough for this.”

Eren suddenly jumped up, wobbling a bit before standing up and pointing at Levi with a smile.

“Hell no! Here, let’s go through the liquor cabinet!” Eren skipped over to the kitchen.

Levi stared after Eren, wondering how he was able to skip properly when he struggled to stand up earlier. He nudged Captain off his lap before walking over to Eren to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid. 

Eren was crouched down on the floor, looking through the bottom cabinet before pulling out a green bottle. Levi immediately recognized the liquor Eren picked out and laughed. 

“Really, Jaeger? Jägermeister?”

“My namesake!” cheered out Eren. He sloppily grabbed two shot glasses from the cabinet and closed the door before placing everyone on the counter. He held out one shot glass in front of Levi.

“Take this double shot. You obviously need it,” Eren firmly said. 

Levi couldn’t help but chuckle. He always had a high liquor tolerance. It wouldn’t hurt to get drunk after a while.

“When was the last time you got wasted, brat?” asked Levi as he poured Eren his one shot and himself a double.

“At a birthday party,” Eren said. “I generally remember what happens though.”

He and Levi both cheered their shot glasses before letting the liquid burn their throats. Levi flinched at the taste before he placed the glass down. Eren was already pouring Levi another shot.

“Shots! Shots! Shots!” Eren cheered as he poured himself a half shot.

“That’s a bitch shot,” called out Levi. 

“I’m taking my time. Waiting for you to catch up to me,” Eren teased before he winked at Levi. Levi rolled his eyes before he cheered his glass with Eren and they took another shot together.

“Did you know that there is a cold brew version of Jägermeister available?” Levi said.

“We can pregame the whoooole day,” Eren said with wide eyes. 

Levi touched Eren’s head and messed it up, laughing.

_Cute._

He felt himself warming up a bit. The wine plus four shots were starting to get to Levi. He could tell because he was starting to state random facts about the liquor. 

“Jägermeister also was something people took to feel better,” Levi stated.

“Really? How?” Eren asked. 

Somehow, they had made their way to the kitchen floor. The bottle of Jägermeister and their two shots were next to Eren’s face as he laid on the ground. Levi had his back against the cabinet, his leg propped up with his arm hung over it. 

“I don’t know. Probably from the deer blood that they make with it,” replied Levi as he poured himself another double shot and Eren his half shot.

“NICEEE!” Eren yelled as he sat up and grabbed his shot glass from Levi. They clinked their glasses together before taking their own shots. 

“This is starting to go down smoother. Like, hella smooooth,” Eren commented before laughing.

“You shit, that’s because you’re drunk as fuck,” Levi said, but laughed along.

Eren stopped laughing and stared at Levi with his bright green eyes. “You know, you don’t laugh a lot but I like it.”

Levi poured some more Jägermeister in each shot glass, deciding to give Eren a full shot this time. “I don’t like to express my emotions fully but, shit, that may change around you.”

They both took a shot.

“What?” Eren questioned, moving closer to Levi.

“Are you drunk?” asked Eren.

“Yeah, man,” replied Levi. 

“I’m not going to remember tonight probably,” Eren commented.

Levi laughed. “It’s been a hot minute since I last got drunk, so I think I would be on the same boat as you.”

Levi poured more shots.

Clink.

Shot.

Laughs. 

A singular meow from the corner. 

“I like it when you laugh,” Eren said as he scooted himself right next to Levi.

“I like it when YOU laugh,” Levi replied. 

“How many shots did we have?”

“I think you had a bottle of wine and maybe 3 shots. I had a wine and maybe 6 shots. Speaking of which, did you know that Jägermeister consists of 56 natural herbs and spices.”

Eren gasped loudly while extending his arms. “That’s so much!”

Levi rapidly shook his head. “I know!”

Eren decided to fill up both shot glasses, spilling a bit on the floor. 

“You brat! We have to clean that!” Levi pointed at the paper towels. 

Eren scooted himself over to the paper towels before grabbing one piece with struggle. He then scooted his way back and wiped the floor. Afterward, he grabbed the shot glasses and handed one to Levi. 

“Cheers!”

They took their shots, filled up their glasses once more, took shots, and placed their shot glasses down. 

“We should slow down,” requested Levi.

“Okay!”

“Okay what?”

“We should slow down,” repeated Eren.

“Sure,” responded Levi.

Captain trotted over to the duo. Eren and Levi looked at each other before a sudden realization was made.

“Captain’s dinner,” they said in unison. 

Eren and Levi stumbled to get up. While Eren placed the Jägermeister back in the cabinet, Levi attempted to wash the shot glasses.

“Scrub, scrub, scrub,” Levi murmured to himself, making sure that he knew how to clean the glasses. Meanwhile, Eren danced over to Captain’s bowl before bringing it back to Levi. Captain followed behind, waiting for his food.

“I have a bowl,” said Eren as he proudly displayed the bowl in his hand. 

“Fill it up!” Levi directed as he placed the shot glasses on a drying rack. He then grabbed Eren’s arm and together, they walked to the cabinet where Captain’s food waited. 

“How do you open this?” asked Eren as he poked on the door.

“Didn’t you just open the liquor cabinet?”

“But that’s the liquor cabinet, of course I know how to open that!”

Both of them stopped when Captain made his way to the cabinet and opened the door himself. He stepped aside for the two drunk gentlemen to grab his food. 

“We have a smart cat,” Levi pointed.

“He probably is sick of our shit.”

Captain meowed.

After a few minutes, Levi finally poured Captain’s food in his bowl with Eren cheering on the sidelines. Captain happily ate while Eren and Levi made their way to the couch.

“I’m so drunk,” Levi said.

“I know,” Eren responded back. “We need water.”

Eren slowly got up and tried to get water while Levi decided to sprawl himself across the couch. However, Levi determined that the couch was not comfortable yet, and got up to clean the kitchen while Eren got their waters. 

Somehow, Levi made the kitchen flawlessly clean. He then moved back on the couch, making himself comfortable by laying down. 

After ten minutes, Eren came back with two large glasses of water. 

He nudged Levi with his cup. Levi, who was slowly falling asleep, opened his eyes wide before slowly sitting up.

“I have the liquids,” Eren whispered. 

“Indeed, you do,” whispered back Levi. He moved over for Eren to have a seat next to him and together, they chugged their individual waters.

“That water made me sleepy,” commented Eren as he yawned. He took Levi’s cup and placed both cups on the coffee table. 

“I was falling asleep,” admitted Levi as he placed his arm on the back of the couch, almost putting his arms around Eren.

“How did you clean up?” asked Eren.

“It’s my cleaning sense. Doesn’t matter how I am, I just have to clean.”

Eren leaned over against Levi and laughed. “Whoops, lost my balance.”

“While sitting?”

“Yes, bitch,” whispered Eren, and Levi laughed out loud. He grabbed Eren and together, they fell down against the couch while laughing to their hearts’ fullest. 

“Should we sing Captain a bedtime song?” asked Eren as he turned to face Levi. They were both laying down on their sides, facing each other. 

“He’s a fucking cat,” said Levi as he slowly started closing his eyes. 

“He’s here,” Eren said as Captain rested himself on both their legs.

“Hello, Captain,” responded Levi, not opening his eyes.

“Dude, I think in normal conditions, I would be freaking out at our position,” Eren said.

“Why’s that?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Honestly, I think I would, too. You make my heart do stuff,” murmured Levi.

“Do I make your heart go doki doki? You make my heart go doki doki,” Eren murmured back, slowly closing his own eyes.

“Yeah, whatever that shit is.”

Midnight had not come out yet, but Levi and Eren were already passed out on their couch. Levi’s arm was around Eren’s waist while Eren tangled his legs with Levi’s. Somehow, they both had the ability to, beforehand, clean their dishes and make a minimal mess. All the lights were off except the small lamp next to the couch. Captain got up and walked around the main areas of the apartment, examining the cleanliness before he made his way back to the couch. He squished his way between the two unconscious men. 

Captain looked over at his owners and meowed quietly as if he were wishing them a good night before going to sleep himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I got them drunk sorry not sorry but also no worries it'll be okay soon. I may have made the pacing a bit fast within this chapter but I hope it all turned out okay!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say thank you for over 100 kudos! It makes me relieved that people enjoy the story. I swear there will be some ~spice~ later, but thank you for sticking around in the meantime. :)
> 
> That being said, please enjoy. I hope you all have been doing well and that things go up for you.

Captain woke up at 6:30 in the morning. He stretched his body, paws moving forwards before he brought them back. Carefully, he made his way towards the armrest on the other side of the couch. He leaped on the back edge of the couch, slowly walking to where Eren’s head rested.

Levi and Eren were still on the couch asleep. Eren had his mouth opened and Captain sniffed the air around it before flinching. He almost wanted to throw up a hairball from the stench, so he slowly took his paw and closed Eren’s mouth before he glanced over at Levi.

The older man was curled up against Eren’s chest. His features softened as he slept, making him look more peaceful and younger. Captain gently licked some strands of hair that were getting in the way of Levi’s eyes before he hopped off the couch. 

The sun was not out yet, but Captain positioned himself on the floor where the sun rays would be shining through when it came. He laid on his side with his legs sticking out, slowly closing his eyes.

Meanwhile, Eren accidentally kicked Levi off the couch. However, still unconscious, Levi did not feel a thing and continued sleeping on the floor. Captain looked up at the sound of the thump before closing his eyes again.

Eren, by that point, had his body completely sprawled against the couch. Levi was still on his side, facing the couch.

Thirty minutes later, Eren woke up. He groaned as he slowly stood up, rubbing his forehead and brushing his hair out of his face. It was a reminder that he needed to get a haircut soon. Looking around, he saw Levi on the floor. 

Eren smiled at the sight. Levi looked as if he were at ease, but he would also probably feel more comfortable if he were on the couch. Eren was careful to not step on Levi as he got off the couch so that he could carry Levi. He pushed out the coffee table slightly so that he could carry Levi bridal-style, one arm under Levi’s knees and another under his back. The brunet lifted Levi up, amazed at how heavy Levi deceptively was, before gently placing him back on the couch. 

After he placed Levi down, he felt sick. Before he knew it, Eren ran over to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before all of last night’s dinner burned his throat and entered the toilet. 

A few minutes passed and Eren finally stopped vomiting. He felt lightheaded and sat against the wall, wondering what had happened.

All he remembered from last night was drinking with Levi after finishing the tteokbokki. They probably went overboard with the drinking; Eren couldn’t remember what happened after the one shot that he took with Levi.

After making sure that he did not have to puke again, Eren got up and rinsed his mouth before brushing his teeth. He then took a shower, feeling disgusted that he didn’t shower the night before and brushed his teeth again after. 

When he was done with his morning routine and made sure there was no mess in the bathroom, Eren walked out to the living room with a white towel over his shoulders and a pair of navy blue gym shorts. Levi was still asleep on the couch, but the sun had barely started rising. Captain was laying at his spot, anticipating the rays warming up his body.

Eren groaned as he saw the sun rays creeping in, holding on to his pounding head. A hangover was coming, and this wasn’t the worst part of it. He covered the rays from his eyes with his hand as he walked over to the baloney door, closing the blinds. Captain meowed as Eren blocked the sunlight.

“Sorry, Captain,” murmured Eren. “But I feel like shit.”

Captain looked up at Eren before going back to his original position. Eren walked over to the kitchen, making a huge amount of coffee. He assumed that Levi may want some too, whenever he woke up.

And speaking of the devil, Levi suddenly ran to the bathroom. Eren could hear Levi vomiting loudly, followed by a groan. He slowly walked over to the toilet, where Levi had his face squished against the toilet seat. 

“Eren…” Levi groaned.

“Sup.”

“I feel like shit.”

“Me, too. I figured this would bring relief to you, but I cleaned the bathroom this morning after I threw up, so things should be clean.”

Levi slowly looked up at Eren, who was resting against the door. 

“You kind of look like shit for someone who just showered.”

“That’s because I feel like shit. Do you need anything? A batch of coffee is brewing right now.”

“Leave me here to die for a bit. I’ll handle everything but that coffee will be appreciated in an hour.”

While Levi rested in the bathroom before showering and cleaning, Eren laid on the couch. He had closed all the window blinds to keep the apartment more on the dark side. 

Levi then came out, drying his hair with a black towel while wearing only grey gym shorts. He walked over to the couch. Eren slowly opened his eyes with the sound of Levi’s steps. 

“You’re walking loud today,” murmured Eren.

“How much did we drink?” asked Levi.

“We should check. I don’t remember anything after the first shot.”

Levi groaned. “I don’t remember anything after the second. I’m too old for this shit.” 

Eren moved his legs off from the couch, giving Levi some room to sit next to him. Levi took the offering, wrapping the towel around his shoulders as he massaged his temple. 

“Why did we drink so much?"

“Spirit of Koreans with their soju?” Eren tried to joke.

Levi only groaned in response as he leaned back against the couch. 

“I appreciate the dark room.”

“Me, too. Do you want some coffee?”

“Please.”

Eren slowly got up and walked over to the kitchen to pour him and Levi each a cup of coffee. He checked the cabinet where the bottle of Jägermeister sat. Levi also had a double shot, so he must’ve consumed much more alcohol than Eren did. 

“The bottle’s empty,” called Eren. 

“Fuck me.”

Carefully, he closed the cabinet and grabbed the mugs. Eren walked over and placed the mugs on the coffee table before sitting and taking a sip. Levi got up to reach for the coffee.

They both sat there silently, enjoying the silence and the smell of coffee filling up the apartment. Captain was napping and they had plenty of time before they had to meet up with everyone for dinner.

“I can’t believe it’s not even 9 in the morning,” Eren grumbled. “I feel like I’ve been up forever.”

“I’m not leaving this fucking couch.”

Until noon hit, Levi and Eren stayed in their position with Eren occasionally getting up to fill up more coffee for each of them. Both the men’s headaches slowly got worse as time progressed.

“Are you one of those people whose hangover gets worse during the day?”

“Yes.”

“Well, shit’s gonna be tough for both of us.”

“Yes. I swear to God, if Hanji decides to come in early, I will beat her ass.”

Eren chuckled. “Do you even have the strength?”

“No.”

“Let’s drink some water,” Eren proposed. “We aren’t getting better drinking coffee all day, especially with nothing in our stomachs.”

Levi grunted in agreement. 

Eren slowly got up and walked over to the kitchen. It was then that he realized that they had done a great job cleaning up everything. He didn’t want to deal with the clanking of the dishes, so he left them for another time. He got two glasses of water before he looked down at the floor where the liquor cabinet was. 

How could they not remember what happened? 

_What if…_

Eren felt his face turn red, not wanting to complete the sentence with Levi not far from him.

“Do you remember anything from last night?” Eren asked as he placed a glass in Levi’s hand. Levi welcomingly grabbed the water and chugged the whole glass. 

“No,” Levi responded. “I just remember us taking shots and then I was out. I don’t remember how I got on the couch.”

“You were on the floor when I woke up from the couch, so I moved you,” Eren said.

“What, did we sleep together and you kicked me off in your sleep?” Levi joked.

Suddenly, a wave of awkwardness settled between the two fellows. Eren and Levi slowly looked at each other before looking down at their individual glass.

“I’m not that much of a dick when I sleep, I think.”

“I would’ve kicked you off the couch so that I could sleep on it.”

“Yeah.”

“Cool.”

They sat there, thoughts running through their heads as they tried to recall what happened last night. Eventually, they both shrugged it off. The thinking was making both their heads hurt.

They needed to figure out lunch anyway. 

“Lunch?” Eren asked.

Levi brushed his hair back from his forehead before he stood up. “I can put your towel away for you if you want.”

Eren handed him his towel and the raven-haired man walked to put the towel away in the bathroom. He then walked over to the kitchen, grabbing some sliced cheese and crackers. Eren watched as Levi sat down.

“You’re eating sliced cheese?”

“It’s real cheese.”

“I expected you to eat deluxe food.”

Levi ripped off a slice of cheese to fit the cracker he was holding. “I care about nutrition, but cheese and crackers is an old childhood snack of mine. I was just craving it and like to eat it from time to time. Plus, I have quality cheese and crackers.”

“Boujee.”

Levi offered the cheese and cracker that he just made to Eren. Eren grabbed it and popped it in his mouth.

“Good boujee shit.”

For the rest of the day, Eren and Levi finished up the cheese and crackers before moving on to eating all the strawberries they had in the fridge to feel healthy after a night of drinking. They barely moved from the couch and kept the room dark, not wanting to deal with the light. Captain got his first meal of the day after his meowing got progressively louder and the duo couldn’t handle it any longer.

“Can we postpone this shit?” asked Levi as he filled up Captain’s bowl. “I don’t want to leave.”

“No, we are manning up and heading over. This is the best opportunity for our best friends to get laid,” said Eren as he watched Levi place the bowl down for Captain to enjoy. 

“At the sacrifice of our own sanity? You’re not looking too hot, brat,” Levi scoffed as he made his way to his spot next to Eren.

Eren rolled his eyes. “I look plenty hot.”

“I know, but still.”

“Okay, but - wait. Did you just call me hot?”

Eren and Levi faced each other again. Levi quickly looked away.

“Yeah, sorry if that made you uncomfortable.”

“No,” Eren quickly responded. “You’re fine. I think you’re hot, too, in fact!”

The brunet quickly covered his mouth as soon as the words left them. It was Levi’s turn to gawk at Eren, and Eren turned his head away in embarrassment. 

“Well, thank you, Eren,” Levi purred. Eren felt his eye twitch, feeling that Levi did a complete 180 and was suddenly enjoying himself.

“How do you even change so fast?” Eren whispered. 

Levi chuckled before he was joined by Captain. Eren slowly breathed, trying to calm his beating heart before facing Levi. He was mindlessly petting Captain, who made himself comfortable in Levi's lap.

“Do you think we could ask Captain what happened?” Eren said.

“He’s a fucking cat.”

“You never know!”

Captain meowed. Levi and Eren continued to sit in silence, neither wanting to move any time soon. 

“I feel like an old man. Is this how you feel all the time?”

“Whenever you speak, yes.”

“Meanie.”

“Brat.”

Both their phones vibrated. Eren and Levi checked to see that Hanji had created a group chat consisting of the three of them, Erwin, and Armin. 

**[Hanji Zoe]**

_Dinner in 2 hours. Do not be late. Let's meet there._

**[Armin Arlet]**

_Thanks! Will do._

**[Unknown Number]**

_Looking forward to it._

Eren groaned as he saved the unknown number as Erwin. “I don’t want to deal with this shit.”

“I’ve been saying that, but we are still going.”

“I rather eat ass.”

“You already do with all that shit that comes out of your mouth.”

“Ha, Levi. You’re so funny.”

“Thank you.”

Levi closed his eyes, trying to calm his headache. Eren got up and pushed the coffee table further away from the couch so that he could pull up the footing of the couch, for it was a recliner chair too. He made himself comfortable, stretching out his legs in front of him before he looked over at Levi.

Eren finally got a chance to look at Levi’s profile while he was resting and without having to puke. He wondered if he asked Levi about his FBI job last night.

Part of Eren wanted something special to happen last night between them. He kept thinking back to Armin’s comment about how he suggested that Eren had a crush on Levi. 

Levi was a flaw in the sense that he was a short-tempered man (no pun intended) with permanent dark circles. But it was weirdly part of his charm. Eren liked how smartass-like Levi was and the fast comments he came up with on the spot. His sense of humor amused Eren, too. And Levi’s looks. Hot damn. Dark circles kinda suited Levi, oddly enough. But maybe Eren would get to see them disappear someday. 

_Honestly though. Maybe I don’t have a crush on Levi. I probably view him as a great friend right now._

It only made sense to Eren. It’s normal to think about someone you think is amazing like that. Plus, Eren always thought it was cool to work in the FBI. Levi was almost like his idol, in a way.

_But what about those thoughts of him grabbing your cock, leaking and hard for him? You’ve always adored his eyes, and they were no exception as he stared right at -_

“I’m going to take a power nap,” Eren calmly said, hiding his blushing face as he turned away from Levi.

“That’s not a bad idea, but I fear that I would straight out fall asleep,” Levi responded. 

As Eren made himself comfortable, Levi looked over at the brunet. He watched as Eren closed his eyes and snuggled against the arm of the couch. 

“I’ll wake you up in an hour. Is that enough time?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

As Eren napped, Levi watched Eren’s chest slowly rise up and down with his breath. His skin looked so smooth, and Levi was about to touch the brunet’s chest before he stopped himself. He took a deep breath before returning back to his side of the couch. Captain nudged his hand, demanding to be petted and Levi complied. 

Whatever happened last night, Levi prayed he didn’t say or do anything stupid. 

Honestly, out of the two of them, Eren would be the person to be acting all stupid. Levi was probably sitting down, calm, and collected. Level-headed. Yes. The guy who seemed like he had it all together, even when he was pissed-poor drunk.

_But what if Eren was an exception?_

Levi sighed. He felt himself have multiple urges to touch Eren, but he didn’t quite understand why. He enjoyed teasing the brat. The stuttering and shyness that overtook Eren were adorable. But that didn’t mean Levi had a crush on Eren. No. It just meant that Eren was fun to tease.

Captain glanced over between his two owners. He meowed at Levi and nudged his hand. Levi raised his hand slightly for the cat to place his head underneath. 

Before he knew it, Levi had reached over and shuffled Eren’s soft locks. Eren slightly smiled at the touch, still asleep. 

Levi felt his heart warm up at the sight. Eren sure was something.

Captain bit Levi’s hand, demanding more pets.

“You’re such a shitty cat,” Levi grumbled as he petted Captain. “If it weren’t for your goddamn eyes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My future cat is going to be named Captain. I thought about the name Levi, but then I was like "That'd be weird for my cat to have the same name as my significant other."


	9. Chapter 9

“Howdy!”

Eren and Levi both flinched at Hanji’s loud voice as they approached the table where she sat at the head. 

“You both look like you’re about to approach a government meeting. But just from the face up,” laughed an unfamiliar voice to Eren.

Eren looked to see a blond man, roughly similar to Captain America. He had glaring blue eyes, combed back hair, and the smile of a million dollars. This was probably Erwin. But to be sure, Eren looked at his eyebrows.

Bushy.

_Yup, this was Erwin._

Eren recalled Levi’s vivid description of Erwin’s eyebrows. He looked at Erwin more, noting his clean attire. Erwin was wearing a light purple collared shirt with sleeves rolled up and jeans. His muscles showed as he crossed his arms.

“Shut up,” Levi said as he sat down. Eren sat down at the empty chair next to him. They were both wearing sunglasses, a plain t-shirt, and shorts.

“Pleasure to meet you, I’m Erwin,” Erwin introduced as he extended out his hand for Eren to shake. Eren firmly grabbed his hand with the same grip as Erwin. 

“Are you both okay?” asked Armin, who was fiddling with the string of a light blue hoodie he wore. 

“Drank too much last night,” Eren responded. 

“Levi DRANK? And I didn’t see it?” Hanji exclaimed, causing Eren and Levi both to flinch.

“Hanji, chill,” Eren said, rubbing his head. “I’m still hungover.”

“Did he do that thing where he spouts random facts?” asked Erwin.

“Oi, Eyebrows. We don’t remember a damn thing,” Levi grumbled.

Hanji arched her eyebrow. “Really? So anything could’ve happened?”

“Yes, I could’ve turned into a unicorn and shit glitter,” mumbled Eren.

Erwin laughed heartily. “Levi, seems that Eren’s picking up some of your humor.”

“Whatever, can we order something please?” asked Levi. “And did you guys wait long?”

“No, we didn’t. We were just introducing ourselves,” Armin said. 

Eren looked around the table. Waters had already been delivered for them. Hanji was sitting at the head of the table, while Erwin and Armin sat next to each other. Levi sat with his arms crossed, sunglasses still on. Eren couldn’t blame him, for he still had his sunglasses on. 

Hanji got up.

“What does everyone want? I’ll place the orders.”

Erwin asked Armin for his recommendation and two plates of stuffed chicken with sides of vegetables were on Hanji’s list. Eren asked for a salmon risotto and Levi requested a Muffaletta sandwich, craving cold cuts and cheese. It was also the new sandwich Papa Arlet recently placed on the menu. Hanji skipped away to place the orders to Sasha, who was working at the cash register.

“Eren, did you really go that hard? Are you growing old?” Armin teased as Eren rested his head on his hand. 

“Dude, I have no idea what happened. I haven’t drunk that much since Reiner’s party when he got engaged with Bertolt.”

“That was a good party,” reminisced Armin. 

“I can definitely say that Levi seems different than what I’m used to. Certainly lost your cool last night, am I right?” laughed Erwin.

“I will shove this cup up your ass.”

“Levi generally holds his liquor well,” Erwin explained to Armin. “So he does not get heavily intoxicated. However, last night says otherwise.”

“Eren’s kind of a lightweight, to be honest,” remarked Armin.

Eren raised up a finger as if he were about to rebuttal before slowly putting his finger down. “I have no way of defending myself.”

Eren and Levi both zoned out as Erwin and Armin talked about the new art museum that was going to open near the university. Neither of them wanted to be too active, but it seems that the table conversation was going fine anyway. Hanji came back and surprisingly, stayed silent. She just sat and stared at everyone at the table, observing their every movement. 

“We can try to make this a fast dinner, if you would like,” Armin proposed as he glanced over the hungover duo. “You and Levi look terrible.”

“No, we just need some food in our system,” Levi said, waving his hand. “Do not worry about us.”

Eren agreed. “Seriously, just enjoy yourselves. I am more than happy to just listen. Speaking of which, please tell me about yourself, Erwin.”

“Well, I graduated at the same time as Hanji and Levi. I’m currently a professor at Trost in the History department. In my free time, I like to read and I’m thinking about picking up knitting,” Erwin smiled.

“Wow, Armin likes to read!” exclaimed Eren as Armin rolled his eyes at him. 

“Yes, it turns out that we have a lot of similar interests,” said Erwin. “I’m pleasantly surprised.”

Erwin turned over to Armin and smiled before sneaking in a wink that did not go unnoticed by the group. Armin’s face turned red as he grabbed his water and chugged it.

“Erwin, you animal,” Levi grumbled. Hanji laughed as she continued to watch everyone. Eren almost thought Hanji had a journal out to take notes on, but he didn’t care enough to dive into it.

“What about you, Eren?” asked Erwin. “I’m wondering who Armin’s best friend is.”

“Oh,” Eren started, but Levi interrupted.

“Eren’s actually a hardcore otaku who likes maid more than having three meals a day. And he only reads books related to maids. Also, he only visits maid cafes. Of course, he also collects maid figurines. He plays games that feature female maids and it turns him on so much. Then, he’ll weird the maid uniforms and jump in joy. I’ll take my leave now.”

The whole table stared at him in silence. Armin broke it, snickering while Hanji followed, erupting in laughter. Erwin himself couldn’t help but smile, and Eren’s mouth was wide open as he stared at Levi. Levi only smirked at the reactions.

“How did you even say that nonchalantly?” questioned Eren. “I literally don’t get it.”

“Well,” Erwin teased. “Is it true?”

Eren rolled his eyes. “I’ve never set foot in a maid cafe. Although if it’s like the ones in anime, then I probably would try their omurice.”

“They do look tasty,” Armin responded. “The cute omurice.”

“Anime food looks so amazing,” chimed Erwin. 

While Eren, Armin, and Erwin talked about anime food, Levi eyed Hanji, who was eyeing everyone else like a science experiment. He felt that Hanji had some tricks up her sleeves, but couldn’t pinpoint what they were. Then he realized that he didn’t give a fuck, as long as she didn’t annoy him. But Hanji could have been planning to do something against Eren. That was something Levi gave a fuck about since no one should have to be on the receiving end of Hanji's wrath. 

Sasha and Connie soon came by, each with a tray of food. Eren always wondered how Sasha managed to resist eating the food she would serve, for the girl had a huge appetite that seemed to be constant. 

“Hi!” Sasha gleamed. “I’m sure Eren got the risotto.”

Eren nodded as Sasha sniffed the plate and sighed before handing it to him. She practically drooled over every dish that she handed out before running back to the back for her snack break. Connie rolled his eyes as he handed Erwin and Armin their dishes.

“Well, if it isn’t the smartest mushroom I know!” teased Connie. Armin groaned as he shooed him away.

“Go be useful for my grandfather please,” he said. Connie and Armin stared at each other before bursting out into laughter. 

“I hope everyone has a good dinner,” Connie said as he walked away to the cashier. “Let us know if you need anything!”

Everyone immediately started eating, not saying a single word. Eren felt that his dish basically cured his hangover, for nothing mattered more than his salmon risotto. His headache disappeared. Everything felt right. The salmon was fresh. His water was delicious. The ice was immaculate. Eren even took off his sunglasses to admire the visual of his salmon risotto. 

He looked at everyone at the table while nomming on his salmon. Erwin was talking to Armin, who had a light red tint on his face. Hanji was oddly quiet as she stared at the blond duo, slowly eating her pasta. Levi simply had no care for what was happening, for he was enjoying his sandwich to the fullest. Eren noticed that he also had his sunglasses off. They were sitting on his hair. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Levi said as he side-eyed Eren. Eren quickly faced his dish.

“You’re annoying.”

“And you keep staring at my face.”

“I was staring at a white hair.”

Levi snapped his head to face Eren. “You’re joking, right?”

Eren raised his eyebrow. “And if I weren’t?”

“Don’t hurt his pride like that,” chuckled Erwin. 

“You’re so mean, Eren,” scolded Armin. 

“Yeah, listen to your friend, brat,” Levi reprimanded. “He knows best.”

“I would say that Armin is very intelligent in all fields,” Erwin commented, smiling at the little blond. Armin seemed to thrive with the individual attention that he was receiving.

“Bullshit,” laughed Eren. “One time, our friend handed Armin a dildo-”

“Eren!” Armin glared, not wanting individual attention anymore.

“And Armin, being the innocent boi he is, strapped it on his forehead and pretended he was a unicorn!”

Hanji and Eren both erupted in laughter while Erwin tried to muffle in a laugh before failing. Eren’s face got red and he threw his head back. Hanji kept pounding on her lap, crouched forward as if her stomach were hurting from laughing too hard. Levi simply gawked at the blond, who was red from the neck up.

“How in your right mind did you not realize what it was?” asked Levi.

“I have no way to defend myself,” murmured Armin as he covered his face. Erwin patted his back in sympathy as Armin shrank in his seat.

“Things happen,” comforted Erwin. “Though I must say, that truly is funny.”

“I will get you back,” Armin said, directed at Eren who only stuck out his tongue in response. The topic passed Armin’s humiliation and everyone continued eating with some small talk between bites.

Levi glanced over at Hanji, who was already staring at him. They looked at each other for a few seconds.

“Why have you been quiet? It’s concerning,” commented Levi. 

Eren agreed. “Yeah, it’s not normal.”

“Even I’m surprised,” Erwin added.

Armin shrugged before he continued eating.

“I’m just looking. Am I not allowed to just sit and listen?” Hanji asked, sticking out her bottom lip with eyes wide. 

Levi shuddered. “Don’t ever make that face again.”

“Fine,” Hanji pouted. She then turned to Armin with glimmering eyes. “What’s your opinion on everyone at this table?”

All eyes were directed at Armin. Armin nervously looked at each person before rolling his eyes at Eren’s wink.

“I think Eren is stupid.”

“That’s a given,” scoffed Levi. Eren slightly pushed Levi before chuckling.

Armin giggled. “Levi seems kind of intimidating at first, but I think he’s an okay guy. I still wouldn’t want to mess with him though. But it seems that he still is staying with Eren, so something went right.”

“Honestly, I’m surprised Levi hasn’t lost his cool,” Erwin said.

“He’s actually decent,” Levi said. 

Eren grinned. “You hear that, Armin? I’m decent.”

“Decently bad.”

“Levi, if you don’t shut the fu-”

“Hello, folks!”

Eren paused mid-sentence to see Papa Arlet approaching their table. The old man patted Armin’s shoulder and nodded to the group.

“Papa Arlet! It’s been so long!” Hanji gleamed. “Your pasta is as good as always!”

He chuckled in response. “I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Hanji. Erwin, fancy seeing you here. It’s been a while. Saw you literally yesterday, Eren. And… Levi?”

Levi nodded. “Pleasure to see you.”

“Hi, Pops,” Armin sarcastically said, glaring at his grandfather before breaking out into a smile. 

“What got everyone gathered here today?” Papa Arlet asked.

“We are simply uniting some buddies of ours tonight to expand our lovely friendships,” Hanji said, winking at the old man. “It’s been pleasant so far.”

Erwin took a sip of water. “Yes, this is actually my first time meeting Armin today.”

Papa Arlet laughed. “Oh! The world is a small place. Erwin dropped by a few times. He was memorable because he reminded me of that American soldier.” He explained to Armin. 

“Captain America?” Hanji asked.

He snapped his fingers and pointed at Erwin. “Yes!”

Levi snickered. “Captain Eyebrows.”

“I heard that.”

“Oh, my. I feel threatened,” Levi said monotonously. 

“You rascals,” Papa Arlet chuckled. “What plans do you guys have after this?”

“Clubbing!” Hanji suggested cheerfully.

“No,” Eren and Levi responded immediately, eyes glaring holes in the brunette.

“Not clubbing!” Hanji corrected cheerfully.

“Well, whatever you guys do, I hope you enjoy yourselves. I’ll take my leave now to check on the other customers,” waved Papa Arlet as he left. 

Everyone finished their meals, cleaning up before getting up from their table. Papa Arlet had stopped them for a bit and insisted on giving everyone a free cookie; they were all happily nomming as they exited the restaurant. 

It was still summer, so there was still an acceptable amount of light with the sunset happening. The town was at its summer prime, where people were spending time together at the park or biking around. The ice cream truck nearby had a steady line going on and some live music was playing. A small crowd was already gathered. 

“Let’s crash at Eren and Levi’s,” Hanji suggested as she looked at Levi with eyes asking for permission.

“It doesn’t matter what we say, you guys are going to come anyway,” Levi retorted.

“We don’t have to go if you don’t want to!” assured Armin. 

Eren smiled. “No, don’t worry about it. I’m okay with you guys coming. That’s 50% owner approval.”

“I guess you guys can come,” Levi sighed. “Don’t make a mess.”

“Yes, Captain!” Hanji and Erwin saluted. Armin looked at them questionably and Eren just laughed. 

Hanji led the way to the apartment, talking to Erwin and Armin about some science movie they have all seen before while Levi and Eren trailed behind.

“Are you feeling better?” Eren asked.

“Yeah, are you?”

“Yeah. It seems that Armin and Erwin get along fairly well. We really didn’t have to do anything,” Eren said.

“It’s oddly suspicious to me, but I can’t put my finger on it,” Levi wondered. 

“Okay, Mr. FBI man.”

“Why do you think I work for the FBI?”

Eren started to explain Levi’s rough demeanor, his dark circles, and how he always seemed to be ready to attack. Levi rolled his eyes and called Eren a brat. Eren gently shoved Levi and smiled when Levi flicked him off. 

It was playful moments like those that make Eren content around Levi. Levi was someone who he could easily talk to. He would say that he was always comfortable around Levi, but then he would be disregarding the foreign feelings that have been floating around at random interactions that they’ve had. Maybe they weren’t necessarily uncomfortable, but Eren just wanted to put a word to describe them. 

_Maybe this was Levi keeping his friends close, but his enemies closer, and I was the enemy. If that were the case, Levi is succeeding and I do not mind one bit._

They reached the apartment and were greeted by Captain. He cautiously sniffed Erwin and Armin, meeting them for the first time. Captain skipped Hanji and stood in front of Eren before getting on his hind legs and extending his arms. Eren picked him up and Captain waved his paw at Levi, who petted the cat’s head.

“That was quite an endearing sight,” cooed Armin. 

“He has never done that before,” Levi said as Captain purred into his hand. Eren held onto Captain as if he were a baby.

Everyone moved to the living room. Eren and Levi sat on the couch, where Captain sprawled himself across both their laps. Erwin and Armin sat on the floor while Hanji made herself comfy on the green recliner chair. 

“You have a nice place,” Erwin complimented. 

“Looks like Levi didn’t do much to the place, besides the whole cat stuff,” Armin pointed out.

“Eren here actually has decent interior designing skills, so I felt no need to adjust anything,” said Levi as he looked at Captain. Eren looked at him, feeling honor that Levi complimented him once more on his design taste.

For a few hours, everyone just sat in the living room and chatted about various topics: Captain, Hanji’s plan to get a fish named Bish, Erwin’s new passion for knitting (he offered to make a sweater for Armin and Levi gagged, calling him thirsty while Eren laughed along), and Armin’s plans on getting a haircut.

“I bet you’d look hot,” Eren pointed out. Hanji nodded in agreement.

“I don’t know,” Armin said as he played with his hair. “It’ll be new for me. I’m so used to this hairstyle, but I wanted to try something new.”

Erwin smiled. “That’s great. I think you should go for it.”

Everyone turned to Levi as if he was expected to comment on Armin’s hair.

“I literally don’t give a fuck. Do whatever you want,” Levi said after a moment of silence. 

“Random thought, but you never finished telling us your opinion of everyone,” Hanji said to Armin. “What’s your opinion on our dear Erwin?”

“Um, he’s cool and stuff. We seem to get along fine,” Armin said. Erwin nodded at him.

“I agree.”

Levi and Eren looked at each other as if they were having their mental conversation.

_Hanji’s too much sometimes._

_I know._

_We should change the subject._

_I agree._

“How long are you dipshits planning on staying? If you want, we can put on a movie,” suggested Levi, taking some of the attention away from Armin, who sighed in relief. 

“I’d love to, but I do have class tomorrow and would like to prepare for my lesson,” Erwin kindly declined. “Maybe next time.”

“Yeah, I want to take some time to relax at home,” Armin said. “Thank you for the invitation though.”

The blonds both stood up and walked to the door. Eren and Levi got up to accompany them.

“You guys are always welcomed!”

“Eren-”

“Always welcomed! Get home safe. Please let me know when you get home!” Eren said. 

Armin rolled his eyes. “Okay, dad.”

They gave their farewells and left the flat. Eren closed the door and Levi shook his head.

“I swear, if Mushroom and Captain Eyebrows crash here at 2 in the fucking morning drunk-”

“I’ll take care of it. Armin’s my best friend so I’ll take responsibility. And I guess I can do the same with Erwin,” Eren assured as they walked back to the couch.

“So,” Hanji started. “What do you think about Erwin and Armin?”

“To be frank, they did seem to get along fine. I probably wasn’t paying as much attention as I should, but I think it’s a good start,” Eren said.

Levi sighed. “Honestly, if I were an author writing about the first meeting of Erwin and Armin, I probably wouldn’t be able to write much because I felt that nothing ‘romantic’ happened. But I agree with the brat; it’s a good start.”

“Well, I think things went perfectly!” Hanji beamed. “I watched how they interacted. They got the hots for each other.”

“Ah, so that’s why you were quiet. They were an experiment to you,” Eren realized.

Hanji nodded. “So, what movie are we watching?”

After one movie about magicians who called themselves “The Horsemen” and completed seemingly impossible heists, Hanji took her leave. She called out to the men to use protection before happily skipping away. Eren forgot to check his phone earlier but was relieved when he saw messages from both Erwin and Armin in their group chat announcing their arrival at their homes. Levi started tidying up the living room as Eren walked over to the coffee table, where Captain laid down like a loaf of bread. 

Both of them prepared for the night, showering and brushing their teeth before sitting back down on the couch. Levi was replying to some late-night emails sent by his students while Eren scrolled through more cooking videos. Captain remained on the coffee table as a loaf of bread.

“Do you think Armin and Erwin will end up together?” asked Eren as he watched a video of someone making Thai green curry.

“Perhaps. There seemed to be some sort of chemistry,” Levi replied as he typed on his laptop. Eren looked up from his phone, watching Levi brush some hair from his view. He had on his glasses again.

“I like your glasses,” Eren blurted out.

Levi cocked his eyebrow and looked at the brunet. “Thanks. They help me see electronics.”

“The blue light glasses,” Eren said. Levi nodded. 

“Consider investing in them.”

“Maybe I will,” Eren said. “But I wouldn’t know what frames would look good on me.”

Levi closed his laptop, done with work for the night. He turned to Eren, staring at him for a bit. Eren watched as Levi examined his face. He widened his eyes as Levi raised his hand up to Eren’s face, gently holding on Eren’s chin for a brief moment. They stared at each other, grey eyes peering into green eyes before Levi tilted Eren’s head and examined his sides.

“I think I have an idea,” Levi said. “To what glasses would suit you."

He got up and looked down at Eren and they shared another silent moment. Eren took the opportunity to look at Levi’s arms, for he only wore a white t-shirt with navy blue pajama pants. He could faintly see Levi’s muscles bulging out of the shirt. His eyes finally made way to Levi’s glasses before Levi’s eyes. Levi smirked and pushed his hair back. 

“Well, good night, Eren,” said Levi as he started walking back to his room. 

Before Eren realized it, he had gotten up and stopped Levi by grabbing his left shoulder. Levi turned around, confused as Eren subconsciously moved his hand to Levi’s hair. He pushed back Levi’s hair behind his ear as Levi gulped. Eren’s hand didn’t move for a few seconds before he pulled out a piece of fuzz that was stuck on Levi’s hair.

“I found fuzz in your hair,” Eren bluntly said. 

“Ah,” Levi said as he eyed the grey fuzz. “Fuzz.”

“Yes, fuzz.”

Eren started walking to his room before he took a breath and turned to Levi, who was still standing at the same spot.

“Your hair feels nice,” Eren shyly said, averting his eyes to anywhere else but Levi.

After a few moments of silence, Eren looked at the raven-haired man to see a small, yet beautiful smile. Levi’s lips were closed, but curved enough to show that it was, indeed, a smile. His eyes softened at Eren and Eren couldn’t help but smile back. Levi didn’t often smile as such, but Eren loved his smile. 

“Thank you, Eren,” Levi said. “I hope you have a wonderful rest.”

He walked up to Eren and gently ruffled his hair. Eren bent down a bit, sighing into Levi’s touch. 

“You have nice hair, too,” Levi whispered before walking into his room and closing the door.

Eren stared at the door and let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he had been holding. He went into his room and placed his hand on his chest as he closed the door, feeling the pounding of his heart react to the events that just happened. 

_Levi, you make me go crazy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if u understood the maid reference i h*cking love u
> 
> Here's my [tumblr](https://senpaiactually.tumblr.com/) if you ever want to gush about Attack on Titan with me. :)
> 
> (yes i am one of those people who love people who don't know I exist and people who don't exist)
> 
> (this is a sign to message me I'm like so lonely and sad but only if u want to)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeek!!!
> 
> p.s., Rating has been bumped to Explicit.

Eren learned that whenever Levi had a lot of papers to grade in a time crunch, he would eat cheese.

But, like, directly from the block. 

Levi was sitting at the kitchen table with a box of crackers out. The table was covered in papers. In one hand was a red pen, heavily marking papers with no remorse. In another was a block of cheddar cheese.

Eren almost gagged as Levi brought the cheese to his mouth and bit off a generous chunk. 

It had been like that for a week since the summer session was ending soon at the university. Eren tried to stay out of the way, but Levi insisted on eating dinner every night together because he “felt like it.” The week had not been bad for Eren schedule-wise, so he cooked Levi different kinds of pasta for the whole week as a result of his food video binging. 

It was a Saturday, a little bit before noon. Eren started off his morning making coffee for both him and Levi, who was already up. When 8am came, he made scrambled eggs for both of them. When it was 10:30am, Levi took out a box of crackers. Thirty minutes later, Levi took out his block of cheese.

Eren had been sitting next to Levi, prepping for his week on his laptop. For 15 minutes, he would glance back and forth between his phone screen and Levi’s cheese. 

“What do you want for lunch? You can’t just eat a block of cheese,” Eren said. 

Levi placed his block of cheese down on his plate and pulled out a cracker from its box. 

“You need real food, Levi. And a break,” urged Eren. “Please?”

“These papers aren’t going to grade themselves,” Levi murmured as he marked more words. 

Eren sighed and rested his head down on the table. He looked up at Levi, his eyes wide from worry. Levi glanced over at Eren for a few seconds, pausing as he took in the view before resuming back to work. After a few minutes, Levi glanced back at Eren, who had stuck out his bottom lip as he looked at Levi. 

“Fucking eyes,” grumbled Levi as he closed his laptop and got up to put away his cheese and crackers. Eren fist-bumped the air in victory as he stood up and followed Levi.

They stood in front of the stove, looking at each other. 

Levi stretched his arms and Eren watched as his white shirt rose a bit, revealing a part of Levi’s muscles. They eventually got covered by the white fabric again, causing Eren to sigh.

“Are you that distraught over what to do for lunch?” Levi asked. 

“W-what?” stammered Eren. “No, I don’t know. I’m done with pasta though.”

Levi nodded. “Your pasta has been great, but we ate pasta for a week straight.”

“The one thing I can do straight,” chuckled Eren.

Levi joined. “I guess that makes two of us.”

The duo shared a moment of laughter before they stopped and looked up at each other. 

Eren’s thoughts were wilding.

_So, Levi is not straight. Meaning he is attracted to men. Which is good news. I feel relieved. But, why? Why am I relieved? I don’t get it. But I’m happy he likes men. I mean, I don’t care what his preferences are as long as they are legal. But. Levi isn’t straight. I’m not either._

“How do you feel about getting sandwiches from Papa Arlet’s?” Levi asked. Eren stopped his thoughts and smiled at Levi’s usage of Armin’s grandfather’s nickname. 

“I could go for a nice turkey avocado BLT. Bacon sounds so good right now.”

Soon, Eren and Levi were sitting on the couch, mindlessly watching the news as they ate their sandwiches. Eren got his turkey avocado BLT while Levi got the same but with two slices of cheddar cheese. A bag of potato chips was opened and sitting on the coffee table. Captain was lying on the floor next to Levi’s feet.

“You’re going to get sick of that cheese,” Eren commented as Levi chewed on his sandwich.

“You should mind your own damn business.”

“You literally ate cheese straight from the block. And somehow, you managed to make it look like a knife sliced through it. I didn’t find any teeth marks.”

“I’m very good with my mouth, Eren,” Levi said, lowering his tone.

Eren coughed, placing his sandwich down on the table as he covered his mouth. Levi immediately handed Eren the water he was drinking, which he gladly took. After a few gulps, Eren laid back on the couch. 

“How much work do you have?” asked Eren.

Levi thought for a moment. 

“I’m technically ahead of schedule, but I wanted the students to get their grades back very soon so that they can have a grasp of how they’re doing in the course and how they could improve.”

“You’re such a nice professo- wait. Does this mean you could theoretically take today off?” Eren realized.

“Theoretically. But I rather not.”

Eren turned to Levi with a glare. “You’re taking a break. The students will understand if you take one day off. You’ve been grading your ass off for the past week. Honestly, you’re probably so hardcore that you’re closer than you think.”

“No,” said Levi as he turned to Eren.

Eren started to widen his eyes and stick out his tongue. Levi sighed.

“Goddamn it, okay. Just chill with your fucking eyes, brat. And you look stupid with your tongue out.”

“Yay,” Eren nonchalantly said, despite the excitement he had for Levi taking a break.

They finished their lunch and cleaned up before returning back to the couch. Eren pulled up the cooking channel on the television as Levi grabbed beers for both of them.

“We will not drink more than one can each,” said Levi.

Eren agreed. “No.”

They sat there, lounging in their pajamas. Captain had somehow made his way to Eren’s head, placing himself over the brunet as if he were a pair of headphones. Eren and Levi looked at each other in confusion before disregarding it because who were they to judge cats?

Levi yawned. 

“What time did you sleep last night?” asked Eren. 

Levi shrugged. “Maybe 4:30?”

“You’re shitting me. You got basically 3 hours of sleep,” Eren scolded. “Take care of yourself!”

“I wanted to grade the papers,” Levi replied.

“And I want you to give yourself a break! I don’t want to see you overwork yourself. You’ve looked like hell all week, and I swear your eye bags got darker. Levi, please,” Eren started to lower his voice. “Get some sleep and take care of yourself.”

Levi stared at Eren before directing his eyes to the slump of Captain on his head, before looking back at Eren. Eren’s eyes were full of concern, almost watery-like, and it made Levi’s heart ache a bit. He suddenly felt terrible for his actions. All Levi wanted to do was finish his grading ahead of the other professors, since he knew that some students were taking more than one course and may have to pay attention to those courses more. But Levi didn’t realize how worried Eren was.

He didn’t notice Eren’s lingering stare every time Levi rubbed his eyes from straining too much, or Eren quietly checking up on Levi at nights when he couldn’t sleep. 

Eren was probably right. He was well ahead of schedule and could afford a day-long break. 

“I will,” Levi said. “Sorry.”

Eren smiled. “It’s okay. I appreciate the apology. I was just worried.”

“I appreciate that, but you really don’t have to worry,” Levi said.

“But I care about you, so I do worry,” Eren gently replied. “Here.”

He scooted closer to Levi and wrapped his arm around the shorter man, pulling him to his shoulder where Levi’s head fit perfectly on. 

“Just take a small nap. No worries,” Eren said. 

He didn’t know what got over him to boldly touch Levi in such an intimate manner but it didn’t matter to him, for the relaxation that Levi had on his face was enough to make Eren happy. Soon enough, Levi was quietly snoozing on Eren’s shoulders. His arms were crossed. Captain moved from Eren’s head to Levi’s lap and Eren silently thanked the Cat Gods for giving him mercy. 

Eren could smell the faint scent of Levi’s shampoo. He chuckled to himself, for the scent seemed to be an odd mixture of laundry detergent and pine. 

About 30 minutes had passed and Eren wanted Levi off his shoulder. The man was cozy and was absolutely adorable leaning against Eren, but Eren’s shoulder said otherwise. 

As Eren tried to lift Levi up to allow his shoulder to move, Levi suddenly moved to Eren’s lap. Captain moved a bit from the action before resuming his nap while Levi seemed to not wake up at all. Eren froze for a moment, taking his sweet time looking at how black locks perfectly framed Levi’s face. 

His mouth was slightly opened. Levi’s arms stayed crossed on his chest as he laid on his side, his cheek pressed against Eren’s thigh. By his arms laid Captain, also laying on his side facing away from the raven-haired man. 

Eren massaged his shoulders before placing his left hand on Levi’s arm, gently caressing the older man before moving a few locks out of his face. Levi did not budge at all, making Eren sigh as he wrinkled his face in worry. It was obvious that underneath the hard exterior, Levi cared about his students and would do so much for them, even if it meant exerting himself. 

_I’ll take care of you._

All Eren wanted to do was pamper the guy. He wanted to cook more variations of the same dish for the man until he got sick of it. He wanted to sit with him every morning, sipping tea or coffee while listening to the classical music Levi would put on to relax. He wanted to give him massages - anything to relieve the tension he has. 

But at the moment, Eren just wanted to watch him sleep.

Levi started to stir around, snapping Eren out of his daydream. He turned his head so that he was facing Eren’s stomach, eyes still closed and arms slowly loosening. 

Without thinking, Eren leaned down and gave a light peck on Levi’s cheek. The skin felt cool and smooth, and Eren smiled to himself.

“Enjoying yourself, brat?”

Eren snapped up and covered his mouth with his right hand. He could almost feel the steam coming out of his face out of embarrassment. How long had Levi been awake for? How aware was he of what was happening?

Levi slowly sat up, causing Captain to leap off the couch and go somewhere else in the apartment. Eren couldn’t bring himself to look at the grey eyes piercing into his soul. He felt Levi move around, placing his legs over Eren’s thighs.

“Hey.”

Eren felt Levi’s fingers touch his chin and allowed them to move to face Levi, who leaned forward until only a centimeter separated their lips.

“Eren,” Levi whispered smoothly. He cupped Eren’s cheek with his right hand, rubbing it gently with his thumb as he looked at Eren with a sense of calmness. His left hand grabbed Eren’s hand.

“Yes?” Eren timidly replied. He wanted to smack himself on how he sounded, but he couldn’t help it. He was flustered. Levi was staring at him as if he were the sweetest thing in the world.

_Eren, Eren, Eren…_

“Eren!”

Eren opened his eyes to see Levi still on his lap, staring right at him. There was no thumb caressing his cheek, or any lips about to press against his own.

_It was a dream._

He had no idea whether he should be thankful or upset that it was just a dream.

“What’s up?” He asked Levi.

“You doing okay? Your face started turning really red while you dozed off,” stated Levi. 

Eren laughed sheepishly. “Yeah. No worries. Nope. Nothing. I didn’t realize I fell asleep.”

“You were probably out for 30 minutes. It’s been an hour since I started my nap,” said Levi as he remained laying down.

“You should’ve napped more,” pouted Eren.

Levi waved his hand. “It’s fine. A nap is better than nothing.”

Eren hummed in agreement as Levi got up, secretly disappointed by the lack of heat that was on his lap. The older man turned to Eren, one leg propped up on the couch with his arm resting on the knee. 

“What do you want to do on my day off, brat?”

_Kiss you._

_Have you touch me._

_Your hand against my cheek felt so nice._

_Your other hand was holding my own, but I’d like for it to hold something else._

“Do you want a massage?” Eren blurted out. 

Levi arched his eyebrow. “A massage?”

Eren nodded, realizing what he said but continuing to stick to it anyway. “You seem tense.”

“Why the hell not,” said Levi after a brief pause. “Haven’t had a massage in a hot minute.”

A few moments later, Levi was on the floor with Eren hovering over his back. He was straddling Levi’s ass but was careful to not actually sit on it. Eren started by pressing down Levi’s back gently, hearing his back crack in the process.

“Bro,” Eren said.

“I know,” replied Levi.

After cracking his back further, Eren started applying pressing with his thumbs on Levi’s shoulder. He felt the hardness of the muscle. Levi was very tense and this was a massage that he absolutely needed. He could hear a loud sigh coming from Levi, indicating that he was doing a decent job with the massage.

Eren started from the shoulders before going up to the neck. He started making his way down, focusing more on the tense muscles that he felt under his fingertips. Levi had his eyes closed, enjoying the massage as much as he could.

Some time into the massage, Eren pulled up low-fi beats on the home speakers, making Levi chuckle. The raven-haired man could feel himself getting relaxed - the most relaxed he felt in a long time. Before he realized it, his back started to feel like it should be, with no tension. Eren was very good with his fingers. He should ask for more massages.

When he was done, Eren got up and laid his stomach side down on the floor next to Levi, who did not budge at all. They turned their heads to face each other.

“How do you feel?” asked Eren.

Levi sighed. “Fantastic. Thank you.”

Eren beamed at the gratitude. 

Eventually, Captain started walking across both bodies on the ground with stride. Levi got annoyed and moved to the couch while Eren followed. They finished their beers that were no longer cold and Eren got up to put away the beer bottles in the recycling bin, washing them beforehand.

As Eren walked to the couch, Levi got up, announcing that he had to take a long shit. Eren laughed as he sat down on the couch, hearing the bathroom door close. He extended his body on the couch, putting his feet where Levi would generally be sitting. A thought crossed his mind and he decided to text his best friend. 

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_So I had a dream._

Before Eren put his phone away, he had already gotten a response.

**[Armin Arlet]**

_Okay and?_

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Levi was about to kiss me and i was like all ready for it but then i woke up and it turns out i was actually asleep and it was a dream and i didn’t even know one could dream within 30 minutes but like whatever idk anyways so lately i think levi and i have been vibing? But like, hella vibing? Anyways my lil mushroom boi does this mean i like him. I haven’t liked anyone in like, literal years. And as i am typing this i was thinking about our convo when u were telling me that i like him and now i’m thinking its legit???????_

**[Armin Arlet]**

_I stg u have the intelligence of a green bean._

Eren pouted at the screen.

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_I’m serious!!!!_

**[Armin Arlet]**

_Bro this is the kinda stuff you gotta think about for yourself. I can’t say your feelings for you._

Eren sighed. Armin was right. But also…

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_I’m scared._

**[Armin Arlet]**

_Why?_

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Romance is wack af. What if I make things awkward because of this crush?_

**[Armin Arlet]**

_So you have a crush on Levi?_

Eren reread the previous text messages, realizing that he had subconsciously admitted to having a crush on the man. His heart started to pound against his chest and his cheeks were heating up. 

He took a deep breath.

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_I guess it makes sense. 1000/10 love it when he compliments me. He is definitely a hottie. But also i love his smiles and when im near him it just feels comfortable and idk bro. Like. he seems like the bomb diggity. His smiles are precious and i care about him. I want to do as much as i can to relieve him of any troubles in his life. I guess stuff like that indicate a crush. But also idk lmao_

**[Armin Arlet]**

_Don’t overthink it. That’s really all I have to say. And I wouldn’t assume anything about Levi’s feelings until you ask him directly or something. Just be yourself and act how you normally would act around Levi. Also, don’t be dense. You may be surprised :)_

**[Armin Arlet]**

_Also why do you always end the serious talks with “idk lmao”_

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Idk lmao_

**[Eren Jaeger]**

_Today, I’m trying to help him relax and stuff since he’s been working hard for his students. Maybe with this somewhat new revelation, things will become more clear to me._

**[Armin Arlet]**

_It’ll be okay! Update me._

Eren placed his phone back in his pocket. He had finally confirmed that he had a crush on Levi, even though it was through a pathetic text message with his best friend. Everything felt right after admitting it, even though it was a bit embarrassing. It all happened so soon. He also didn’t know if Levi liked him back. At the moment, Eren wasn’t too concerned about it. He just wanted to be there for Levi.

Levi left the bathroom and made his way to the couch, waiting for Eren to move his feet before sitting down. 

“Nice shit?” asked Eren.

“Nice shit.”

Eren laughed while Levi couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. It doesn’t seem difficult to act casually around Levi to Eren. Levi’s personality and demeanor alone brought a lot of ease to Eren. 

Levi turned to Eren, brushing his hair back with his fingers as he smirked at Eren.

Eren started to think that Levi doesn’t always bring him ease. Sometimes, Levi made him hot and bothered.

“Eren,” he purred as Eren swallowed.

“Yes?” Eren replied timidly. 

_Why does this feel like deja vu?_

“Would you eat a block of cheese with me?”

Eren blinked once. Twice. 

“Bruh, are you for real?” Eren exclaimed, and Levi burst into laughter. He threw his head back, clenching his stomach as he closed his eyes and laughed. Eren immediately smiled at the sight of Levi so amused and happy before laughing himself. 

“You should’ve seen your face!” Levi managed to say between laughs. 

“You asked me if I wanted to eat cheese! Out of all things! What do you expect?” Eren yelled.

Levi continued laughing and Eren couldn’t resist the smile that popped on his face. 

After wiping his eyes, Levi grinned at Eren. “It’s been a while since I laughed like that, thank you.”

“I was worried you weren’t capable of making such expressions,” teased Eren, receiving a slight shove from the older man. Levi dropped his smile and rolled his eyes, but he still maintained an amused expression.

“What if we tried taking Captain on a walk?”

“Eren, we are not taking our fucking cat on a walk.”

As if the rain Gods agreed with Levi, the rain suddenly started pouring. It hit the baloney doors hard, complimenting the grey sky.

Eren sighed. “I forgot it was going to rain today.”

“It’s okay, the day is still young,” said Levi. “What do you want to do in the meantime? It’s almost 2pm.”

“It’s your day off,” Eren nudged. 

“I want you to choose,” Levi shrugged. “I don’t mind doing things with you.”

Eren flushed at the comment. Levi was saying sweet things and Eren’s heart kept running. Just like Levi, because he was running through Eren’s mind. But Eren didn’t want to give himself false hope. Things should just flow naturally.

“We can have a movie marathon and go crazy on tea,” Eren suggested. “I don’t really know what else to do.”

Levi raised his eyebrow. “Every single tea blend in the cabinet?”

“We could make our own too.”

Three hours later, Eren and Levi were on their 14th cup of tea while binging Iron Chef America after Levi said he didn’t really know how to cook. Eren didn’t approve of Levi’s lack of culinary skills even though he cared about quality ingredients in his dishes. 

“My favorite chef is the Japanese guy,” Levi said as he watched one of the chefs slice tuna, which was the main ingredient of the episode they were watching.

“Ah, Chef Morimoto. He’s one of my favorites too,” Eren agreed. 

Levi was leaning against the right side of the couch facing the television. He had his left ankle resting on his right knee, placing his head against his right hand as he watched. Eren was curled up on the other side of the couch with Captain, who was ogling the tuna.

A chef pulled out sake and Eren’s mind drifted off, imagining a fancy Japanese restaurant. He and Levi were sitting at the counter, having the best view of the sushi chef preparing their food. They were dressed in black suits; Eren had on a grey vest with a black tie, while Levi wore a grey collared shirt with a white cravat. 

Eren was telling a story and Levi chuckled as he took a sip of his green tea, the steam slightly hitting against his palm as he brought up the cup to his mouth. The chef placed a single piece of sushi on each of their plates, directing them to eat it with their hands. Eren moaned as the fish touched his tongue, melting perfectly.

“Eren,” Levi said, snapping Eren out of his thought.

“Yeah?” 

“What were you moaning about?”

Eren’s cheeks turned red as he quietly replied, “I was imagining eating some good sushi with you. Sushi was good.”

Levi nodded, only staring at Eren for a bit. It seemed that his head was occupied with many thoughts and Eren only stared back.

“You know what would be good to eat?” Levi questioned after a few moments of silence.

“What?” Eren asked, raising his eyebrow. 

Suddenly, Levi was hovering over Eren. He had one knee dangerously close to Eren’s crotch while the other one was on the edge of the couch. Eren’s hands were placed above his head, bounded down by Levi.

Eren gasped at Levi’s action, heart beating fast as he looked up at Levi, who had on a dangerous, but an _oh, so sexy_ , smirk on his face. His grey eyes, with a tint of blue, stared at Eren with lust.

Eren whimpered as Levi leaned forward, their lips a few centimeters apart from each other before Levi decided to turn his lips away and lean further down to Eren’s ear.

“You,” Levi whispered before biting Eren’s ear gently. Eren moaned as Levi moved his hands so that his right hand held both of Eren’s wrists as his left hand slid down Eren’s body. He could feel Levi’s lips moving lower to Eren’s neck. When Levi made contact, Eren shivered, his neck being a weak spot for him. 

“Interesting,” Levi purred as he kissed Eren’s neck a few times while his hand trailed to the hem of Eren’s pants. He then started to lightly suck on Eren’s neck and Eren let out a deep moan. Levi chuckled against his skin, creating a tingly sensation that only made Eren harder.

“Levi,” Eren breathed out, craving the gentleman. “Could you touch me please?”

Levi stood up slightly to face Eren. “Only because you asked so nicely.”

He leaned forward, gently pressing their lips together before Levi nibbled on Eren’s bottom lip. As he did so, he let his hand glide on top of Eren’s cock, restrained from the fabric around it. Eren thanked the Gods that he wore light clothing, for he could feel Levi pressing gently against him. He opened his mouth in pleasure and Levi took the opportunity to slide his tongue in. 

Eren slightly thrusted up to apply more pressure on his cock, the waves of pleasure spreading throughout his body. Levi released his grasp from Eren’s wrist and Eren immediately pulled Levi down to him by wrapping his arms around the smaller man’s waist. He felt Levi, noting that Levi was just as hard as him. The fact that Levi wanted him made Eren desperate. He sat up a bit as he tightened his grip around Levi’s waist. Levi responded by running his fingers through Eren’s hair as he pressed his chest against the brunet. 

“Eren,” Levi gasped as he separated from the kiss. Eren leaned forward to kiss him again, but Levi leaned away.

“Eren,” Levi said again in a stern tone.

_Eren…_

“Eren!”

Eren jumped slightly before taking a look at his surroundings. He was still on the opposite side of the couch with Captain. Levi was still in the same spot as before. 

“Yeah?”

“Shit, brat, one day you’re going to end up scaring me to death,” Levi grumbled. “You good? I saw your face starting to turn red again. Were you zoning out?”

Eren raised one hand against his face, covering his eyes from Levi’s view as he looked down to see his cock proudly hard in his pants. 

“Yeah, don’t worry,” Eren said before he looked at Levi with a smile.

“Are you sure…?” Levi questioned, not believing Eren.

“Yeah,” Eren reassured. "I'll let you know if I need anything."

Levi looked at him with a seemingly stoic face, but his eyes showed concerned. "Promise?"

Eren smiled at the care that Levi was giving him. "Yes, promise."

“Okay… Anyways, Morimoto won. We should go to a Japanese restaurant soon,” Levi said, diverting from the conversation. “This episode got me craving some sushi.”

Eren chuckled, thinking back about his daydream. He thought it was funny how he had a daydream within a daydream; it was also funny how Levi was craving sushi.

“I could go for some sushi too,” said Eren as he thought about Jean in a maid outfit, helping him get rid of his boner. 

“Let’s order sushi take out for tonight,” Levi proposed. “But for now, let’s watch another episode. I’m hooked.”

Eren hummed in response as he watched Levi click the remote to continue the show. His biceps were poking out of his shirt and the rainy background present Eren with a calm image of Levi. Then, he thought about the wet daydream he had about Levi minutes ago.

He sighed. How was he going to be casual around Levi at this rate? Was it actually good that he realized his crush on Levi?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double eek!!!  
> (sorry for the little spicy moment, I don't write smut so I'm learning)


	11. Chapter 11

Eren was having a lovely dream about sushi when he woke up with a giant thud on his body.

“What…” Eren groaned.

“Surprise, bitch!” screamed Jean as he sprawled across Eren’s bed, putting most of his weight on the brunet. Eren retaliated by wrestling with Jean to get him off the bed. He flailed his legs as Jean pinned Eren down, laughing.

“Yeah,” Levi said as he walked in Eren’s room in a plain grey t-shirt and navy blue gym shorts. Marco followed, wearing a plain green shirt with tan khakis while smiling sheepishly.

“I opened the door and that guy immediately barged in yelling for you,” Levi followed up.

“Jean, you fuck!” Eren yelled as he rolled off the bed with Jean.

“I’m terribly sorry about this,” Marco replied, sheepishly smiling. “I hope we weren’t disrupting anything.”

Levi shook his head. “I’m fine. Eren, however…”

“Oh, Eren’s fine. I was asking about you,” Marco replied nonchalantly. Levi eyed Marco before directing his attention to the mess on the floor.

Eren and Jean laid on the bedroom floor, glaring at each other. They were both slightly out of breath, on their sides as Eren clutched his blanket. 

“Why are you so fucking stupid?” Eren grunted, sitting up.

“Why don’t you text me back, you dipshit?” Jean snarked, following suit.

“You texted me a link!” Eren yelled, kicking Jean’s legs. “And when I clicked on it, it was a Rick Roll video!”

Levi looked at Marco, who seemed too calm for the situation. As he opened his mouth, Marco lifted a finger up and shook his head. 

“Wait for it,” he said. Levi stared at Marco before directing his attention to the two men on the floor having a staring contest.

Eren broke the contest, a wide smile appearing on his face as he lightly punched Jean’s shoulder, who only smiled in return.

“Sorry, bro. Nice to see you,” Eren said. Jean shook his head.

“And here I thought you forgot about my beautiful face,” he replied. 

“Don’t get cocky, horse face.” 

Levi coughed, stifling a laugh as Marco rolled his eyes. 

“Nice to see you too, Eren,” Marco teased. Eren only laughed in response as he got up and pulled in Marco for a hug.

“Missed you, bud,” Eren said. He turned to Levi.

“Levi, these are my friends. I’ve known them since middle school. Horse face over there and freckled angel over here.” Eren pointed to Jean and Marco, respectively.

“Ah,” Levi said. “Pleasure to meet you both.”

Jean stood up and walked up to form a square amongst the four of them. “Nice to meet you. I just had to meet the guy who willingly lives with this shithead over here.” 

He motioned towards Eren, who rolled his eyes.

“Shut up, Levi and I are doing well.”

Marco laughed. “Sorry for intruding. Jean and I were in the area and just wanted to stop by.”

“No, it’s nice to see you guys! Would you like to stay a little bit for tea? You’ll have to give me some time to get ready though.” Eren asked as he looked at Levi.

Levi waved his hand. “As long as I can have some too, I don’t care.”

“You still hooked on that hot leaf water?” Jean questioned. “Stupid ass.”

“I guess you won’t get any of that cinnamon blend you love so much.”

“Jaeger, I love you. Please forgive me.”

“What the hell,” murmured Levi as they walked to the kitchen. Eren made his way to the bathroom to wash up and ready himself for the day.

Marco chuckled. “They have an odd friendship. In high school, they used to hate each other with a passion, fighting every time they saw each other. Eventually, they became close friends. The best of bros.”

Levi hummed in response as he leaned against the kitchen counter. Jean moved next to him while Marco looked at all the teas available. 

“So,” Jean drawled after a few minutes. “How is it living with this fucker? I heard about you from Armin.”

“Honestly, it’s been fine,” Levi replied. “Eren’s clean, respectful, and a tolerable person.”

Eren walked out of the bathroom and went to grab mugs, preparing black tea for him and Levi. “It’s nice to know that I am only ‘tolerable.’ I thought I was more than that.”

“Yeah, a brat,” Levi replied with a smirk. Eren clutched his shirt and gasped. 

“How dare you?”

Jean laughed and pointed at Levi. “I like him.”

Eren laughed along before making eye contact with Levi, placing a mug in front of him. “I do, too.”

They stared at each other for a bit as the tea blended in with the water. Jean didn’t notice the tension since he got up to make his own tea next to Marco, who was still deciding on a blend. Eren shyly smiled at Levi, who brought the cup to his mouth and blew on it a bit before taking a sip. He moved next to Levi, slightly brushing his arm against Levi’s as he held his own mug of black tea. 

“So,” Levi started as Jean walked toward them, carefully holding on his mug. “What do you two do?”

Jean set his mug down to let it cool. “I work in finances at Trost Corporations.”

“He majored in business. What a snake,” Eren commented.

Jean punched Eren’s shoulder. “Shut the fuck up, Jaeger. You’re probably still jealous I got into the B-School and you didn’t.”

Levi didn’t understand. “Business? I thought you were set on clinical psychology.”

Eren huffed. “I wanted to apply to laugh at horsey if I got accepted and he didn’t.”

Jean scoffed. “What a dumbass, am I right? He flat out got rejected. Anywho, Marco over here is a social worker but helps run his family’s flower shop too. You’re new here, right? I suggest checking it out. They have beautiful selections.”

Marco moved next to Jean with a mug full of chai. “Jean, you’re too kind. But it’s true. Speaking of which, Eren, your work is having some sort of Gala? My family is helping out with the flower decorations.”

“Yeah, Hanji just wanted an excuse for everyone to bring people together and dress nice,” Eren said. “But it isn’t for another month.”

“A Gala? Why is Hanji so fucking extra?” grumbled Levi as he took a sip. 

“Marco got invited and I’m gonna be his date,” Jean said as he placed his arm around Marco’s waist. 

Levi arched a brow. “How long have you guys been together?”

“A little over 4 years,” Marco replied before drinking his chai. “Eren, are you going?”

Eren scoffed. “Of course. The best part is the afterparty! Free alcohol, free food? Call me in. I’m surprised Hanji hasn’t told you about it yet, Levi.”

Levi shrugged. “She’ll probably tell me eventually.”

“So who will your date be? Will this be the year Eren Jaeger brings a date?” Jean teased.

Eren flicked off Jean as he drank his tea. He glanced over at Levi, who was staring off elsewhere. In fact, Eren had played around with the thought of asking Levi to the Gala as his date. It had been on his mind since Hanji sent the email out with lively gifs and photos the other day. Levi had a few days before the summer session at the university was over, so he didn’t want to bother Levi too much at the moment. He also needed to plan out how he would ask.

“Will this be the year Jean doesn’t throw up at the end of the night?” Eren teased, avoiding the question. Jean took the bait.

“Pfft, I’ve been training for this moment.”

“No, you haven’t.”

“Marco,” Jean said, exasperated. “Babe. Please. Let me have my moment.”

Marco only rolled his eyes as he drank out of his mug. “Eren, I’m surprised you’re not at work today. And Levi, too.”

“I don’t have any appointments today. The stuff I need to do, I can do from home,” Eren replied. “And Levi’s just reviewing papers and grading them. There’s no more actual class. Gotta accompany this man to make sure he doesn’t eat a block of cheese for lunch.”

“Brat.”

“Cheese?” asked Jean.

Eren shook his head. “Don’t question it. Breakfast?”

While Eren made breakfast for everyone, Levi resumed back to work on his laptop, sitting on the dining table. Jean and Marco were on the couch, petting Captain who decided to walk over to the unfamiliar couple.

“Sausages or bacon?” Eren called out.

“Sausage,” chimed in the three men. Everyone burst out laughing with the exception of Levi, who only smirked behind his cup of tea.

“This flat is so gay right now,” murmured Eren in amusement as he got out sausages from the fridge. He decided to make eggs, sausages, and potatoes. The potatoes were already being pan-fried and seasoned. Eren started on the sausages, saving the eggs for last.

“I like this cat,” Jean called out. He leaned against Marco’s shoulder as he scratched behind Captain’s ears. Captain laid on his back, head on Jean’s lap, and the rest of the body on Marco’s.

“He’s a good cat,” Eren said as he flipped some sausages.

Levi walked up next to Eren, grabbing four plates and four forks out. They brushed against each other. Eren turned to look at Levi, admiring the man’s side profile as he placed the dishes down before turning around and walking over to stir the potatoes. Ever since they watched Iron Chef America, Levi started helping Eren on the side. He claimed that he could only play the role of Eren’s sous chef in the kitchen, doing the most basic tasks. 

Eren wanted to kiss Levi’s cheek then. The man looked so focused on the potatoes, making sure that none of them burned. 

“Jaeger, I want cheese on my eggs,” Jean said, turning towards the kitchen.

“Kirschtein, I am making these eggs the way I want so shut up,” Eren replied as he went to grab the cheese anyway, making Jean grin. He grabbed some of the pre-shredded cheese he had, avoiding Levi’s sliced cheese and giant cheese block.

“Thanks,” Jean sang. 

Breakfast was ready. Levi sat down and Eren quickly moved next to the man, refusing to let Jean’s stupid ass sit next to Levi. Marco sat across from Levi while Jean kicked Eren after sitting.

“Thank you for the breakfast, Eren,” said Marco with a twinkle in his eye. Eren smiled, nodding at the freckled man.

“These eggs slap,” Jean said as he shoved some eggs in his mouth. “Thank you.”

“Close your mouth when you eat, you horse,” Eren scolded. He received the finger from Jean in return.

Levi only ate his breakfast silently as he looked at his laptop, responding to emails. Eren pouted a bit before remembering that Levi would be done soon and that he was kind of on crunch time, so he let the action pass for the time being. He would have to talk to Levi later about working while eating. 

Jean and Marco stayed for some time after breakfast, cleaning the dishes before messing around with Captain before Captain walked away from them. Levi decided to work in his room for some quiet, nodded to the three gentlemen before walking inside and closing the door. In the meantime, Eren laid on the ground next to Captain while Jean and Marco made themselves comfortable on the couch. 

“So, Jaeger.” Jean wiggled his eyebrows as he jerked his head toward Levi’s room. Marco chuckled as he looked at Eren.

“What?” responded Eren, staring into Captain’s eyes.

“You gonna ask out the midget?” Jean asked.

Eren sighed. “I don’t know. He’s out of my league.”

“While that may be true,” Jean received a glare from Eren. “I think he kind of wants you to ask him. It’s a vibe.”

“You can’t just assume everything is true based on a vibe,” Marco pointed out.

Jean rested his head on Marco’s shoulder. “Yes, I can.”

“Ignore Jean,” Marco said. “If you want to ask Levi, I say you go for it. Don’t let something so trivial stop you from doing so. But don’t do it if you actually don’t want to.”

Eren let out a huge breath as he turned his body to face up, staring at the ceiling. “I want to wait until Levi’s done with the summer session. It’s finals week and he’s trying to finalize everything for his students.”

“You also have a month to create an elaborate proposal to make sure he doesn’t say no,” Jean said.

“Jean, he doesn't need an elaborate proposal!” Marco retorted. He turned to Eren. “Do whatever your heart wants.”

“And this is why I like you but hate Jean,” Eren smirked. Jean chucked a pillow at Eren but missed. 

Eren grabbed the pillow that fell next to his head, using it as an actual pillow. “I’ll think about it. The problem is that-”

“My little Eren baby is crushing so hard on him,” Jean teased. “It’s so obvious. The way you look at him. I swear, it’s like how Sasha looks at food. And you’re afraid that he won’t like you back. Don’t overthink it.”

Eren glared at Jean. “Before I was so rudely interrupted… Yes. You hit the nail on the money. Or however the saying goes. I don’t remember the last time I had a crush on someone.”

Marco shrugged. “What’s the dynamic between you two?”

“We get along fine as roommates and I’d say we are decent friends. To be frank, I warmed up to him faster than anticipated, and apparently, he has too with me, according to Hanji. Additionally, he randomly is flirtatious. But also, I’m not sure if I am perceiving it that way because I like him. I tried to ask Armin but he was like ‘I can’t tell you your feelings.’ If he can’t tell me the facts, what am I supposed to do?”

Marco gave a sympathetic look. “You should hang out with Levi more. Beyond being housemates. Go to a park, go ice skating, I don’t know. But something like a date.”

Jean nodded in agreement. “It’s a great way to see the chemistry between you two. Don’t you guys spend most of your time together at home?”

“Yeah,” Eren responded. “We eat meals together and talk about our days. Sometimes, we go grocery shopping together. But even though we spend a lot of time in the same room, we don’t spend actual time together. We always are occupied with something. But it’s like, his presence is nice. I like being physically around him.”

Marco snapped his fingers. “There you go. Take him out somewhere. And whenever you feel comfortable, ask him to be your date.”

“I bet $20 Jaeger will ask him last minute,” Jean betted. Marco sighed as he checked the time. 

“No betting,” Marco scolded before turning to Eren. “Thank you for having us over. If you need anything, like some flowers, stop by anytime! Tell Levi that we say see you later!”

Eren walked Jean and Macro out of the apartment, promising Jean that he would be better at texting him before closing the door and leaning his back against it. He sighed, thinking about the date that they suggested to him. When was the last time he planned a date, let alone went on one? He was not the best when it came to romance, in his opinion. 

Eren started walking to his room to get his laptop when Levi peeked out of his bedroom. 

“Did they leave already?” Levi asked.

Eren nodded. “Yeah, they give you their ‘see ya laters.’”

Levi opened his door wider. “I feel kind of bad not seeing them off, but I wanted to complete my work in peace.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m sure they understand,” Eren said. “I’ll be doing some work in the living room if you’d like to join.”

Levi thought to himself for a bit before walking out of his room. “I’d like to join.”

Eren grinned. “Okay.”

As Levi made his way to the living room to sit on the couch, Eren grabbed his bag, making sure he had a pencil, his planner, and his laptop. He slung it over his shoulder and walked to sit near Levi, who was already typing away on his laptop. Eren sat across from him, getting his station settled.

He opened his laptop and started checking his emails, occasionally jotting down future meetings in his planner. However, his eyes kept glancing over at the gentleman in front of him. Levi pushed his glasses up as he leaned back against his seat. He stared at his screen, thinking about something as Eren screamed in his head how good Levi looked biting his bottom lip. 

Levi pushed his hair back with one hand as he took a deep breath before typing away. Eren looked at his grey eyes that had a slight blue tint. He made his way down to Levi’s neck, admiring how clear and kissable it was before moving on to his biceps. The grey shirt may have been slightly loose on Levi, but Eren could still make out the outlines of his muscles.

How was he going to ask Levi, the hottest man who had ever stumbled in his life, out on a date? Should he even think of it as a date or as two buddies hanging out? Does Levi think of Eren as a buddy? Was he overreacting?

Eren scratched his head as he scrolled through a report. Armin would probably tell him to do what he would like and see if Levi wanted to tag along.

A few hours passed. Levi and Eren silently worked the whole time. Captain was fed earlier and made his way to the dining table, napping between their laptops. Eren took a sip of the black tea that Levi made earlier for them.

It was around lunchtime when Levi got up. He leaned back, cracking his back before making his way to the fridge.

“You better not be getting a block of cheese out,” Eren said, crossing out a client’s meeting time and rescheduling it in his planner.

Silence replied before he heard Levi shuffling in the kitchen.

“No crackers either.”

“You’re a little shit, you know that?” 

Eren turned to see Levi glaring at him. He responded by smiling widely while throwing up a peace sign. Then, he got up and walked over, leaning against the counter next to the fridge.

“So,” Eren started.

Levi sighed. “It seems I cannot indulge in my go-to stress meal.”

Eren nodded. “I’ll make some fried rice.”

He went to the fridge, grabbing vegetables, leftover rice, and eggs. After placing them all on the counter, he went to the pantry to grab a few things for seasoning before grabbing a wok and placing it on the stove. Levi stood near the fridge, watching Eren move around the kitchen.

Eren was about to prepare the carrots before he paused and looked at Levi, who looked at him back.

“Want to use the skills you learned from Iron Chef?” Eren teased. Levi rolled his eyes but grabbed the carrot out of Eren’s hand and looked for the peeler. 

Eren had prepped all the other ingredients in the time that Levi chopped 2 carrots. He claimed that each carrot piece had to look as identical as possible, but Eren rolled his eyes and dumped the carrots in the wok. Levi started cleaning the stuff that they had no use for to reduce the amount of washing they would have needed to do at the end.

When Levi was done cleaning, he walked over to Eren, who was stirring the fried rice in the wok. Levi turned and leaned against the counter, elbows touching the surface as he turned to his right to look at Eren.

“Like what you see?” Eren smirked as he tasted some of the fried rice. His eyes widened. It was delicious. He looked at Levi, who was only staring at him with what possibly could’ve been a pink tint on his ears. Eren felt his heart jump as he turned to the wok to scoop up some rice with the wooden spoon he was using, holding it out in front of Levi.

“Try it,” smiled Eren. Levi leaned forward and sniffed the rice before he took a bite, staring right at Eren. Eren didn’t move the spoon, and Levi didn’t break his eye contact.

Levi smirked. “Delicious.”

Eren wanted to collapse on the floor at how detectable Levi sounded but had to take care of the fried rice first.

“Get some bowls,” Eren murmured. Levi chuckled and patted Eren’s shoulder as he walked by to grab two bowls. Eren scooped out the rice into the bowls while Levi went to get the silverware.

“Chopsticks?” he called out.

“Fork,” Eren responded as he walked to the dining table with the bowls.

Levi sat across from Eren, handing him a fork. Eren tapped his fork against Levi’s chopsticks. It was a thing that Eren did with Levi at least once a day. 

Levi’s eyes softened at the action before he started eating, complimenting Eren at how good the rice was. Eren proposed that Levi should cook for him one day and Levi shrugged, saying that he may do it in a few years. 

They ended up getting seconds, finishing up the fried rice that was in the wok. Eren talked about how he wanted to add ketchup next time because he noticed that Japanese people seemed to incorporate ketchup in their dishes more than he thought. Levi said that he was addicted to watching food porn, and Eren could only laugh in response, for he was not wrong. Levi showed his small smile at Eren, shaking his head before heading to the sink. He washed the dishes while Eren brewed them another pot of tea, deciding on green tea. 

Soon, they were back on the grind. Eren pondered more on where he should take Levi. Did he want to be basic? Did he want to use up his creativity juice and take him elsewhere?

He looked at Levi’s glasses, admiring how they framed (heh) his face perfectly. Eren’s eyes outlined the glasses before drifting to his ears. Levi had nice ears. Even if Eren didn’t know what it meant to have nice ears, he was sure Levi’s ears were phenomenal. Or maybe it was the crush talking. 

_Levi would look hot with piercings._

“What about piercings?”

Eren blinked. “What?”

Levi eyed Eren. “You murmured something about piercings?”

“Do you want to get matching ear piercings?” Eren asked before mentally facepalming himself. 

Levi looked amused, a twinkle showing in his eye as he leaned back against his chair. Eren imagined himself digging a hole in the sand before shoving his face in it. He hated the fact that he would speak his thoughts unknowingly. 

_Ear piercings? Are you stupid, Jaeger?_

“Sure,” Levi said. Eren shot him a confused look.

_Maybe you aren’t that stupid. Good job, Eren._

“Really?”

The raven-haired man shrugged. “New experience. Can’t say I’ve ever had someone ask me to get matching piercings with them. Plus, I’ve always wanted to try it out. But it’ll have to wait until I’m done with all this stuff. So this upcoming weekend?”

Eren shyly smiled. “Okay.”

Levi nodded and they both resumed working until Eren paused, his fingers hovering over the laptop.

His first date with Levi was to get matching ear piercings.

Eren grimaced. He had no idea if that was a good thing or not. But it was kind of original. Plus, it would be a new experience for both of them, since Eren himself had never gotten piercings. This was something that they were going to do together. His mind drifted to Levi and his ears, decorated with a couple of piercings as he sat down, dressed in a black suit.

_Oh, fuck yes._

_I did such a good job._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by a tiktok I saw of Levi with piercings.


	12. Chapter 12

It was 5 in the morning. Eren was wide awake, looking at his closet with only boxers on. Originally, he had tried to go back to sleep, only getting around 6 hours. He wanted more sleep, but then he had a dream about Levi kicking Eren while he was tied to a pole. He didn't know if he was into it or not. Regardless, it freaked him out and woke him up.

He unconsciously shoved his right hand in his pants, mainly because it was one of those weird actions that were comfortable, as he glanced between his button-up short-sleeved shirts and his other shirts.

Eren didn’t know what color he should go for, or what kind of vibe. Should he go for the boy-next-door vibe? Or should he go for streetwear? Maybe he should only wear the color green. Should he stop overthinking and just go for what is comfortable?

He decided on a plain tan long-sleeve shirt, pushing up the sleeves to his elbows. Pairing a pair of dark navy khakis with his outfit, Eren looked at the mirror. Casual? Yes. Simple? Yes. 

To finish off the outfit, he wore a necklace with a key that his dad gave to him. It was a gentle reminder that his parents were always with him regardless of what happened. 

Eren checked his smartwatch before putting it on. Only 30 minutes had passed. He spent 30 minutes choosing an outfit that Levi may not even focus on. Shrugging to himself, Eren walked out of his room, stopping to look at Levi’s closed door. Levi had finally finished all of his work late the previous night. Eren wouldn’t be surprised if Levi decided to sleep in, or if his insomnia decided to take a break after finals week. Levi said so himself. 

He made his way to the kitchen, deciding to brew a cup of coffee for himself and for Levi to have later. Small clanks echoed in the kitchen, causing Captain to slowly walk over to the source of the sounds. The cat jumped on the counter, watching Eren pour water in the coffee maker before starting the brew. He followed Eren as the brunet got himself a mug. Eren decided that he was in a sweet mood, so he grabbed some vanilla creamer and poured it into his mug before putting the container back in the fridge.

The smell of coffee took over the room. Eren decided to hold Captain like a baby. Captain did not protest but instead rested his head on Eren’s shoulder as Eren walked around the kitchen. When the coffee finished brewing, Eren made his way to the pot and poured some coffee into his mug. He snuggled his cheek against Captain’s fur as he watched the inside of his mug go from a dark brown to a subtle light brown. 

Holding his mug, Eren walked over to the couch. The sun was starting to peek over the balcony, bringing a dim light to the living room between the blinds. Eren placed his mug down before heading over to the blinds and opening them, letting in more light. He flinched at the brightness as he quickly turned around and walked back to the couch. 

As he sat down, Captain squirmed around. Eren let go of the cat, who made its way to the balcony door, laying down right in front of it. Captain closed his eyes, anticipating the warmth of the sun’s rays on his fur. Meanwhile, Eren started drinking his coffee slowly. The warm drink relaxed him immediately. 

He checked his watch. It was roughly 5:45 in the morning. Levi did not leave his room yet. 

Realizing how early it was, Eren decided to try to nap for a bit. With the caffeine taking a delayed effect, he probably would wake up by the time Levi leaves his room. Plus, he didn’t want to be randomly tired during their date.

Eren smiled to himself. It may not be labeled as a date officially, but it was still him getting to spend time with Levi. Even if it meant piercing his ear for the first time.

He finished his coffee mug before walking over to the kitchen to clean it. Afterward, he made his way back to the couch and laid across it. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms, taking a deep breath and slowly drifting off to sleep.

It was around 7:30 when Eren woke up.

“Good morning,” greeted Levi, a deep sleepy tone still present in his voice. 

Eren rubbed his eyes and opened them to see Levi sitting on the recliner chair with his own mug of coffee. He had on a casual purple shirt and black skinny jeans. The sun shone behind the man, and Eren felt his heartbeat just a little bit faster.

“Morning, did you sleep well?” Eren said, biting back the word “handsome” from escaping his mouth. 

Levi nodded, taking a sip before resting his cup on his knee. “It was well needed. Those shits better have learned a lot from my class.”

Eren chuckled. “I’m positive they did.”

The two fellows sat in the living room in comfortable silence. Levi finished his coffee and got up to wash it when Eren decided to sit up.

“What do you want to do today?”

Levi walked over and sat down next to Eren. “We’re still doing the ear piercing, right?”

Eren nodded.

“What prompted that?”

_I was imagining how hot you would look with a piercing._

“Random thought,” Eren shrugged. 

Levi hummed in response as he looked over at Captain, who was walking up to the duo. “Did you feed him yet?”

Eren paused for a bit before he slowly got up and made his way to the pantry. 

“Tch, you brat.”

“Shut up,” grumbled Eren. “I just woke up.”

“That surprised me. You were seemingly up before I was. What time did you wake up? The first time, I mean.”

Eren shrugged again. “I dunno. But I made coffee and then took a small nap.”

“Then what was the point of waking up early?”

“Why do you ask questions that I cannot answer?” Eren replied.

“Because I can,” Levi said before smirking. Eren rolled his eyes, but couldn’t hold back the smile that was creeping upon his face.

They decided on stopping by Papa Arlet’s place for a bite. The shop was relatively empty, for it was still early in the morning. When they walked in, Papa Arlet waved at them from the cash register. The gentlemen made their way to the counter. Eren beamed as he sniffed the air. 

“Papa Arlet!” 

“Good morning, you two. What brings you here so early?” Papa Arlet asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“We are stopping by for some breakfast before going on a small walk around town,” replied Levi as he looked at the baked goods on display. “What recommendations do you have?”

The older man thought for a moment. “Well, for you, Levi, I would recommend a dark chocolate croissant. It just seems to fit you.”

Levi moved away from the display and nodded. “I’ll take that.”

“And I’ll take a cinnamon roll!” Eren grinned.

“What size?” Papa Arlet chuckled.

Eren rolled his eyes. “The biggest one you have in stock. I graduated from your mini cinnamon rolls long ago.”

Papa Arlet laughed as he warmed up the pastries. Eren leaned against the counter, one arm bent against it as the other one brushed through his hair. Levi placed his hands in his pocket as he glanced around the cafe, which was nearly empty, given a few people who were working at the back corner. Some were sitting next to the bookshelves, reading.

“I like the calmness of the cafe right now,” Levi commented.

“I agree,” Eren chimed in. “Like, it’s nice to see a busy cafe since it means good business, but having only the background of the espresso machine and light jazz music brings a different kind of happiness. I used to study here in the early mornings.”

“And you would always ask for free coffee,” Papa Arlet said as he shook his head, bringing over the warmed croissant and cinnamon roll.

“And you would always give it to me,” Eren cheekily added as Levi eyed the cinnamon roll being handed to Eren.

Eren brought the roll to his face and sniffed it. The cinnamon roll was 75% the size of Eren’s head. He smiled, eyes slightly opened as he took a bite. Levi watched him, holding his own croissant as he slowly took a bite, immediately tasting the bitterness of the dark chocolate paired perfectly with the croissant.

“So good,” Eren moaned as he bit into his roll. Levi could only nod in agreement as he took another bite out of his croissant with one hand while grabbing his wallet on the other hand. Eren slightly bumped his hip against Levi’s, pushing the shorter man a little.

“My treat for the date,” Eren said, smiling cockily as he handed his card to Papa Arlet. 

Papa Arlet arched his eyebrow with a teasing smile. “Date?”

Eren paused half-way, processing the last few seconds before he started stuttering.

“W-well, it’s not actually a date. We’re getting our ears pierced together. It’s a friend date! Yeah,” Eren stumbled. 

Levi chuckled. “I don’t care what we’re calling it.”

Eren turned around and gaped at Levi, who had the tiniest of smiles on his lips. He felt his face turn red before quickly turning away and shoving his card into Papa Arlet’s hands.

“Well then,” Papa Arlet said as he completed the transaction. “You two enjoy yourselves regardless.”

Eren shyly smiled at the older man. “I’m sure we will.”

Papa Arlet leaned over the counter to shuffle Eren’s hair. Eren scrunched his nose as he tried to fix his hair. Levi smirked at the sight before he felt his own hair being shuffled. He slowly looked over at Papa Arlet, who smiled kindly at the man. Levi generally didn’t like it when people touched him, but there seemed to be two people who he didn’t mind: Papa Arlet and Eren. 

Papa Arlet gave him a huge grandfather vibe that he was not familiar with. However, it gave him a sense of comfort.

Why Eren? Levi had no idea yet.

“You boys go have fun! I have customers to check on,” Papa Arlet laughed.

Eren waved. “Tell Connie and Sasha we say hi!”

Levi nodded at the elder man before he followed Eren out of the cafe, slightly touching his hair. 

They both made their way outside, walking around town while munching on their baked goods. 

“I sometimes feel like that man is hiding a secret,” Levi said.

“Papa Arlet?” Eren asked as he looked at a red balloon that a girl was holding as she walked by. “Yeah, if you think Armin’s always got something up his sleeves, then it makes sense. Armin is a Papa Arlet 2.0.”

“Sounds like Erwin.”

“Is it a blond thing?”

“Who knows.”

They both sat down at a bench with a clear view of the lake. It was still early, but people were slowly bringing life to the town. The balloon man had set up his cart 20 feet away from the duo, already giving a little boy a pink balloon. Joggers passed by the gentlemen, while a yoga class took place nearby. 

Eren chomped his last bite and sighed. “Nothing hits the spot like eating a cinnamon roll on a nice Saturday morning.”

Levi, who finished his croissant, nodded. “Let’s do that again.”

Eren smiled. “Of course. What would you like to do? My friend’s tattoo parlor doesn’t open for another couple of hours.”

Levi turned to Eren. “You tell me. Be my tour guide for the day. I haven’t gotten too much of a chance to truly explore the town.”

Eren thought to himself. Where should he take Levi? He looked back at him, who was mindlessly looking out at the lake. His features had softened, looking at ease. It made Eren’s heart happy.

“I know a place,” Eren said, standing up and moving in front of Levi. He extended a hand out, bowing slightly.

“Your hand, sir?” Eren cheekily asked, smile beaming as bright as the sun. Levi only scoffed and rolled his eyes before placing his hand gently on Eren’s. Eren pulled Levi up before letting go, not wanting to make anything awkward between the two of them. If it were up to him, he would hold Levi’s hand all day. But alas, Eren was an awkward boi who did not want to rush anything.

Eren took Levi to Marco’s shop, bells jingling as they walked in. Marco looked up from a book he was reading and immediately smiled.

“Good morning,” he welcomed. “What brings you guys here?”

“I wanted to show Levi around a bit before we meet up with Historia!”

“Historia?” Marco asked. 

“We’re getting our ears pierced,” Levi explained. Marco looked at Eren, who sheepishly shrugged. 

“Interesting. I never would’ve thought Eren would get his ears pierced.”

“Trying something new, ha, ha, ha,” chuckled Eren awkwardly. Levi and Marco only stared at the brunet before turning back to each other. 

“How have you been?” asked Levi.

“I've been doing well. Jean made his famous omelet this morning before he went in for a meeting, so I got a taste of that,” Marco beamed. 

Eren widened his eyes. “He made his omelet?”

He turned to Levi. “Jean’s omelets are really good. They’re his mom’s recipe. But he adjusted it a little bit and won a food competition with it!”

Levi nodded. “I’m impressed.”

“I’ll try to get some for you someday. Moving on, what flowers do you like, Levi?” Marco asked. 

Levi shrugged. “I’m not sure. I may take a look around though.”

Marco motioned to the room. “By all means.”

While Levi walked over to the tulips, Marco glared at Eren. 

“Piercings?” Marco questioned, a playful grin on his face.

Eren groaned. “Shut it. I was imagining him in piercings and then I accidentally said that out loud and Levi was like ‘what’ and I was like ‘let’s get piercings’ and here we are. Just so you know, I didn’t have to bring him here.”

“But yet you did.”

“Shut up,” Eren grumbled as he watched Levi look at some Autumn-colored flowers. Summer was ending and the fall colors were starting to pop around. It was getting cooler too, to Eren’s delight. Not as cool as he’d like, but it was getting there.

Marco grabbed Eren’s arm and dragged him over to Levi.

“Anything catches your eye?” Marco asked, slightly nudging Eren. Eren only looked at Marco in confusion.

Levi pointed to lilies. “These ones. What are they called?”

“It’s pretty,” Eren commented.

Marco nodded. “Yes, those are Asiatic lilies. These are autumn colors: orange and yellow. They generally mean marriage or purity, but sometimes they are used to embrace special occasions that indicate a new beginning, like a new baby. Common autumn flower. Do you have a favorite flower?”

Levi shrugged. “I don’t really know flowers that much. I point at them and think they’re pretty.”

“Aren’t you an English professor? Isn’t it your job to analyze symbolism and stuff?” Eren asked.

“While I should be familiar with that, I tend to just search up the flowers that I read and then forget about what they mean later. I’m sure that roses are romantic,” Levi explained.

Eren clapped slowly. “Bravo. Intelligent. The great Levi Ackerman.”

Levi sneered at Eren.

“Are there any colors you’re interested in?” prompted Marco.

“I wouldn’t say that I have a favorite color at the moment, but I think I’m starting to like the color green. Green with a splash of honey and blue tints.”

Marco eyed Eren. “Interesting.”

He turned back to Levi. “Well, those colors are fairly hard to find for flowers naturally. Alas, there are many flowers here that I think you would still find to your liking.”

“Definitely. The selection here is amazing. I will go to you for any flower inquiries,” Levi praised. Marco beamed at the compliment. 

As Levi walked to other areas of the store, Marco whispered into Eren’s ear.

“You got yourself a lucky one. Doesn’t seem too picky, as long as they’re pretty.”

Eren rolled his eyes, punching Marco lightly on the shoulder. 

Marco only chuckled as they followed Levi around. “You still better come to me for the meanings though.”

“Okay, Marcooo,” Eren sighed. He gazed at Levi, with his black hair contrasting well against the light-colored flowers that he was in front of. Subconsciously, he grabbed his phone and took a picture of his view, thankful that Marco didn’t notice. He would’ve told Jean, who probably wouldn’t shut up.

Levi and Eren stayed in the flower shop, accompanying Marco until their appointment. Marco continued to answer Levi’s questions about tending the flowers while Eren asked for every single meaning behind each flower. 

A customer eventually walked in. Marco left the duo to attend to the short girl while Levi and Eren looked at chrysanthemums.

"What's your favorite flower," asked Levi as he looked at Eren.

Eren thought for a moment before looking back at Levi. "I honestly like all pretty flowers."

"How come I haven't seen flowers in the apartment?"

Eren's eyes lightened up. "Oh, yeah. You reminded me."

Eren grabbed Levi's wrist subconsciously and dragged him near the front of the floral shop, where succulents were stocked on shelves. 

"I tend to kill flowers and get sad, so I've been meaning to get me some succulents. They're hard to kill and don't require much maintenance," Eren said.

Levi looked at the succulents, starting from the pots with multiple succulents to individual ones. "Do you want to buy some?"

Eren nodded. "Maybe after we get pierced. I think we have to go soon to make it to our appointment on time. I'll also need a lot of time to decide which ones I want because look at them! They're all so cute."

Levi watched Eren as he smiled at the succulents. He couldn't help but raise the ends of his lips just slightly. 

"Do you think Captain will try to eat them? Are succulents bad for cats?" Eren wondered out loud.

"Depends on which ones you get," Marco said, walking up to them. He eyed Eren's hand, which was still gripping Levi's wrist. Eren followed Marco's eyes before he realized what he was still holding onto and quickly dropped Levi's wrist. Levi's arm flopped at the side while Eren murmured an apology. Levi only shook his head and smirked at the response while Marco chuckled.

When the time came to go, Levi and Eren waved back at Marco before walking out.

"We'll be back!" Eren called out as he waved to the freckled man. Marco beamed as he waved back to Eren. Levi nodded to the man. 

They started walking down a few blocks to Historia’s tattoo shop. 

“How are you feeling?” asked Levi, watching Eren’s legs align with his arms perfectly. When his right leg went out the front, his right arm followed and vice versa.

“Fine,” Eren replied nonchalantly.

“Eren…”

“Okay, just a tad nervous.”

Levi stopped and grabbed Eren’s arm. Eren immediately relaxed at the touch and turned around to face him.

“We don’t have to do this,” Levi gently said. 

Eren shook his head. “I want to. It’s just the jitters. They’re getting to me.”

Levi took both his hands and smacked them against Eren’s cheeks. Eren froze, only looking at Levi with confusion.

“I saw that doing this helps sometimes,” Levi said, still keeping his hands against Eren’s face. 

Eren could feel his face heating up. Levi’s palms were strangely soft. He had expected them to be slightly rough, given the demeanor that Levi presented to the public. But, Eren felt at ease. All of his jitters about the piercing went away, replaced by warmth in his heart.

“It did,” Eren shyly said, a small smile peeking out. Levi’s eyes softened as he nodded, removing his hands from Eren’s cheeks after some hesitation. 

They continued their walk in comfortable silence. Eren would occasionally glimpse over at the man, thinking back to Levi’s touch. 

_Fuck, he’s getting to me._

They reached the tattoo parlor, simply named “Reiss Piercings and Tattoos.”

“Alright,” Levi said as he nudged Eren. “I’m actually pretty excited about this, brat. It’ll be fun for us.”

He looked over at Eren and gave a quick wink. Eren couldn’t resist the smile that started to appear on his face. 

The door to the parlor suddenly opened, the bells attached to the door jiggled frantically. Eren jumped while Levi lazily glanced at the entrance. After taking in their sights, Eren groaned while Levi huffed out in annoyance.

“Well, hello there, Jaeger.”

“Fuck you, Kirschtien.”

“Levi!!”

“Fuck off, Zoe.”

Eren and Levi both looked at each other.

_I hate it here._

_Me too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewatched Jean's OVA recently and I dream of the day he makes me omelets.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for dealing with my irregular updates. Life gets busy and everything, but thank you for still sticking around :)
> 
> I hereby present the next chapter!

“Let’s leave,” Levi said, grabbing Eren’s bicep as he started to turn around.

“Nooo,” Hanji drawled out, stepping in front of them and shielding them from the outside world, extending out her arms. 

Levi clicked his tongue and sighed while Eren was facing away from Hanji to glare at Jean, who only smirked in response as he leaned against the door, crossing his arms coolly.

“Sup?”

Eren rolled his eyes as he tugged Levi in the shop, bumping his shoulder against Jean in the process.

Jean pouted as he followed the duo into the shop. “Don’t I get a hello hug?”

“Go fuck yourself,” Eren groaned as he walked up to a petite blonde gal. She smiled at him.

“Hey, Eren. How have you been?”

“Hey, Historia. I’ve been well. Until I saw a horse, that is.”

Jean punched Eren’s arm while Levi and Hanji watched the interaction. Historia watched as Jean and Eren bickered before turning to Levi.

“You’re Levi, right? You’re here on the appointment with Eren,” Historia confirmed. 

Levi diverted his attention from the hotheads and nodded. “Yeah. A piercing for each of us.”

“Wait, what are you and Hanji doing here?” Eren asked, pausing their bickering. 

Jean tugged the collar of his shirt to the left, revealing a small tattoo of a smiley face underneath his collarbone. “Came for a retouch.”

“A smiley face?” Levi asked.

“Marco has one on his right side. It’s a little joke, but we got it on different sides of our body because to me, it represents how Marco is my other half.”

“That was a shitty explanation,” Levi said, but shrugged.

Eren nodded. “Okay, that makes sense. But Hanji?” 

Everyone diverted their attention to the brunette, who only smiled in response. 

“I got my nipples pierced!”

“Shut the fuck up,” Eren gaped. Levi only stared at Hanji, but his eyes slightly widened at her comment. 

Hanji laughed. She grabbed the bottom of her shirt and slightly lifted it up. “Do you want to see?”

“Fuck no, Four-Eyes. If you do that, I will rip off your piercings,” threatened Levi.

Jean winched at the statement while Hanji laughed it off.

“Sure, buddy. Whatever you say. Anyways, can we watch you guys get pierced?” Hanji asked.

Jean nodded. “I’d love to see Eren faint as the needle approaches him.”

“Go away,” Eren grumbled.

Hanji pouted. “You’re no fun. Leeeeevi?”

Levi crossed his arms. “No, you and Horseface cannot see this.”

Eren laughed at the usage of Jean’s nickname while Jean grumbled about how Eren was influencing Levi in the worst way possible. Hanji only pouted more.

“I promise I’ll be quiet. I just want to watch it. I’ve never seen you partake in such things. Just observation. That’s all I ask for,” Hanji pleaded, placing her hands together to beg.

“No.”

Hanji’s phone rang and she sighed as she looked at the screen. “I have to check up on a few things with Mike. You got lucky this time, Ackerman. See you later, fellas! And thanks for making my nipples edgy!”

The brunette walked out, with everyone in the shop staring in her direction.

Historia was the first to break the silence. “I can’t help but be both surprised and not that she got nipple piercings.”

Levi shook his head. “It was honestly bound to happen.”

Jean patted Eren’s shoulder. “Well, I guess I’ll just leave you two alone. Marco asked to get lunch and you know I have to attend to my man.”

“Cute,” Eren replied. “Maybe you’ll see us later today.”

“Gross.” Jean pretended to gag before he waved at everyone, walking out of the shop. 

Eren and Levi were led to a separate room where Ymir was preparing the materials. She turned around and cocked her eyebrow.

“Well, well, well. If it isn't Jaeger,” Ymir greeted.

“Hey,” Eren said, raising a hand. 

The freckled gal looked at Levi. “You’re Eren’s friend.”

Levi nodded. 

“You guys fucking?”

“Ymir!” scolded Historia as she lightly punched Ymir’s shoulders. Eren’s face turned a bright red, unable to speak while Levi chuckled slightly. 

“We’re just roommates.”

Ymir snapped her head to the blonde girl. “Do you hear that? And they were roommates.”

After a few minutes of Historia scolding Ymir and Levi trying to calm Eren down by gently patting his back, the four directed their attention back to each other.

“What kind of piercing?” Ymir asked. 

“Lobe,” Levi replied. “I’ll take it on my left.”

“Left?” Eren questioned.

“I flipped a coin some time ago.”

“I guess I’ll do that too.”

Historia clapped her hands together. “Excellent! Who’s going first?”

Eren and Levi looked at each other. While Levi maintained his blank composure, Eren displayed a slight fear in his eyes. The raven-haired man nodded before turning back to Historia.

“I’ll do it first.”

“Get on the chair,” motioned Ymir, putting on rubber gloves. 

Levi walked to the black leather chair before getting on with a little hop. Ymir and Eren stifled a chuckle while Levi simply glared at them both. Eren moved to the right side of Levi as Ymir started sanitizing Levi’s left lobe. Historia asked Levi if he had a color preference for his stud, and he asked for a silver one.

“It’s just going to be a pinch,” Ymir said as she wiped his ear. She took out a marker and made a dot on Levi’s lobe before handing him a mirror.

“Is here okay?"

Levi carefully looked at his reflection. “Yeah.”

She then grabbed a needle and took it out of its packaging. 

“How do you feel?” Eren asked.

Levi looked at him. “I feel fine.”

“Cool. That’s good, you know.”

“I know."

“So, do you think it’ll look good?”

“I have some trust.”

“Alright, done.”

“What?”

Eren quickly made his way to the other side of Levi to take a look at the new addition to his lobe. It was a small silver stud, simple and not too flashy. He was confused at the quickness of the piercing. 

“You didn’t even count down,” murmured Eren.

Ymir shrugged. “Didn’t think I’d have to with Levi.”

“I didn’t care,” agreed Levi.

“How do you feel?” asked Eren. “How did the piercing feel?”

“Like she said, a small pinch.”

Levi hopped off the chair, and Ymir couldn’t help but chuckle out loud. Eren would’ve joined her, but his mind was preoccupied with the fact that a needle was going to go through his ear.

The doorbells at the front rang. Historia left to attend to the visitor while Ymir glanced at both Levi and Eren. 

“I’ll be back.”

Ymir walked out of the room, leaving the gentlemen alone. Levi took the time to look at the mirror on the wall, admiring his earring. Eren nervously rocked back and forth. He flinched slightly when Levi placed his hand on Eren’s forearm.

“Hey,” Levi gently said. “You doing okay? You don’t have to do this.”

“I want to try it out, I really do. I just have never had a needle go through my body before. It’s not like a shot. Like, a piercing needle literally goes through a part of your body,” Eren explained.

Levi led Eren to sit on the chair. Eren hesitantly sat down but was calming down with Levi’s thumb moving up and down. 

After a few moments, Levi asked, “Do you want me to hold your hand?”

Eren couldn’t help but roll his eyes and looked at Levi, who smirked back. 

“You’re annoying sometimes.”

“I know. But in all seriousness, I’m here and it really isn’t that bad,” Levi said, eyes softening at the brunet. Eren felt his cheeks heat up, only nodding in response.

Ymir barged in the room. “What up. Eren, I’m going to clean your nasty ass ear.”

“Nasty ass, my ass,” Eren retorted. Ymir laughed as she started cleaning Eren’s lobe. 

“Color?”

“Same as Levi’s,” Eren said as he looked at the small sparkle on Levi’s ear. Ymir nodded as she drew a small dot on Eren’s ear. Eren looked and confirmed that he was okay with how it looked.

“Do you want a countdown?” asked Ymir. Eren thought for a moment before shaking his head. 

“I think that would stress me out more.”

Ymir nodded as she started to take out the needle. Eren felt his body freeze for a moment before he glanced at Levi, who placed his hand on Eren’s shoulder.

“What do you want to do for lunch?”

“I dunno. What’s something that you don’t want?”

“Expensive.”

As Eren was about to reply, he felt Ymir stick the needle through the ear. However, he also felt Levi squeeze his shoulder and focused his attention on that. 

“We could go get burgers,” suggested Eren as he tried to control his breathing, looking at Levi. 

“I could go for a burger. They’re kind of messy though,” grimaced Levi. Eren laughed at the reaction.

“Alright, Jaeger,” Ymir said as she patted Eren’s shoulder. “You didn’t bitch out. Now leave cause I got someone waiting.”

Ymir explained the aftercare procedure for the piercings. Levi listened intently while Eren looked at the small sparkle on his ear. He was satisfied with the look. They went up to pay for their piercing individually. Eren then rolled his eyes as Ymir tried to push them out, but smiled and thanked her. She waved him off but had a small smile on her face as she walked to the next customer. Levi and Eren walked out of the parlor, bidding their farewells to Historia. 

“It looks good, brat,” Levi said as he looked at Eren’s ear. “Kind of red though, but not a problem.”

Eren, in fact, was blushing. But he didn’t want Levi to know that he got shy every time Levi complimented him, even if he thrived for it. 

“Thanks,” Eren said as he brushed some hair behind his ear. 

Eren started talking about how he would want an earring to be connected to an AI so that he could talk into his earring whenever he needed something. Levi simply nodded but listened intently to Eren’s words. They walked down the street until they reached a retro diner.

Stepping inside, Eren beelined to an empty booth next to the window. Levi grabbed a napkin from the dispenser and wiped the table and seats before he sat down across from Eren. Eren eyed him, feeling like he should’ve cleaned his seat too but then felt lazy. They were immediately greeted by a waitress.

“What would you fellas like today?”

Eren eyed the waitress as she stared at Levi with obvious heart eyes. Levi paid no attention, staring at the menu. 

“I’ll take a double cheeseburger with all the toppings and a side of fries. Medium rare patty, please,” Eren said, a bit loud to get the waitress’ attention. 

The waitress looked at Eren, eyeing him from top to bottom before nodding and writing down his order.

“Okay, sounds good,” she said as she winked at him. Eren didn’t see it though, for he was busy staring at Levi.

“I’ll take the same,” Levi decided. “Eren, would you like to share a milkshake?”

Eren widened his eyes as the waitress gasped. Levi raised an eyebrow at the waitress before directing his attention to Eren. Eren only nodded in response.

Levi looked back at the menu. “We’ll get a vanilla milkshake with two straws.”

The waitress looked back between both men before awkwardly clearing her throat. “Okay, I’ll go ahead and place that order in.”

She gathered the menus before rushing away to the kitchen. Levi looked at the window, while Eren decided to speak up.

“I think she was hitting on you.”

Levi looked back at Eren. “No, she wasn’t?”

“She totally was!” Eren said, a hint of jealousy in his voice. 

Levi chuckled. “That’s funny, I thought she had eyes for you. I saw her eye you up.”

Eren shook his head. “No.”

“Well, I think I cleared her away with the milkshake,” Levi said. 

“Oh, is that why you asked for it?” Eren said, slightly confused.

“Well, that could be a reason.”

“And the other?”

“Not telling?”

“Levi!” exclaimed Eren. “You can’t just say that and not follow up. Tell me!”

Levi stared at Eren before one end of his mouth lifted upwards. “Simple. I cannot finish a whole milkshake by myself.”

“Lies. Literally, a few days ago, I saw you stress-make a milkshake. You finished half of the ice cream tub.”

“Ignore that. Today, I don’t think I could finish a whole milkshake to myself,” Levi responded cooly, crossing his arms.

Eren rolled his eyes. “I literally don’t get you sometimes.”

“I’m an enigma.”

Eren frowned a bit at the statement. “I don’t want that though.”

“What do you mean?” asked Levi as he stared blankly at the brunet. 

Eren shrugged, looking at the table. “I just have the urge to learn more about you.”

Silence fell upon them and for a moment, Eren felt nervous, fearing that he misspoke on something. He didn’t know what else to say, afraid that he would create more awkwardness. That was all before Levi interrupted his train of thought. 

“As you know, I like vanilla. A lot. I favor it over chocolate.”

Eren looked up to Levi looking at him, still with a blank face, but a twinkle appeared in his eye.

“When I’m stressed, I either eat a lot of cheese or consume sweet things in large quantities.”

“Which you shouldn’t do,” scolded Eren. “Start eating grapes or something.”

“I do what I want, brat,” Levi replied. “Okay. That’s two things about me. I want two things about you.”

Eren smiled. 

_This feels like a date. Us getting to know each other and everything._

As Eren explained why he preferred autumn over summer, he thought about how he was finally getting to learn more about Levi. They may have lived in the same area, but they didn’t get as much bonding time as Eren would’ve liked with Levi teaching a fast-paced course over the summer. Eren enjoyed this moment. He hoped Levi felt the same.

“My body runs hot. More hot weather just makes it worse on me. Also, I love the fashion more during Autumn and I love the colors. I guess my second thing about me is that I want to cook more.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “I already knew that. Your meals don’t taste like shit.”

“Ah, only the greatest of compliments from Levi Ackerman,” Eren teased before winching at a sharp kick to his knee.

“Brat.”

“Food is here!” cheered the waitress as she placed down the plates in front of the gentlemen. After that, she shyly placed the milkshake between the two, with two straws sticking out. 

“Let me know if you need anything,” she said before scurrying off. 

Eren and Levi looked at each other. 

“You made her shy,” Eren said.

“No, I’m a grumpy old man who doesn’t show expressions. She fell for your eyes,” Levi retorted. 

“You’re not old!” said Eren. “And don’t bring yourself down like that. You’re amazing.”

As soon as Eren realized what he said, he immediately shoved the burger in his mouth, taking a giant mouthful. Levi stared at Eren in disgust.

“Take your time. You act like you haven’t seen meat in a week,” Levi said before taking a bite. 

Levi nodded as he looked at Eren. “Good choice. This is a well-made burger.”

Eren beamed at the response. “Thanks. Armin and I found this place after finals. I especially love the fries.” To elaborate, he bit a fry and sighed happily.

They continued eating their meals silently, enjoying the flavors of the meat and the crispiness of the fries. After they both finished their burgers and fries, Levi leaned forward to take a straw in his mouth, slurping the milkshake as he made eye contact with Eren.

Eren gulped and stared back. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do other than stare back. But when he noticed that Levi drank a little over half the milkshake, he immediately took the other straw and slurped heavily, squinting his eyes at the older man. Their noses almost touched. Levi slightly lifted the corner of his mouth.

The milkshake was finished and Levi and Eren both moved back to their seats. 

“You totally would’ve finished that had I not stepped in! I was actually craving some milkshake too,” Eren complained. Levi only shrugged and turned around to look for a waitress, making a hand motion of him writing for the check. A few minutes later, the waitress placed one bill on the table. Levi immediately handed her his card and glared at her to go away. The waitress squeaked slightly before walking away briskly.

“You scared her,” Eren commented. 

“Lunch is on me. Had she stayed any longer, you would’ve tried to pay,” Levi replied.

“Facts. Thank you for the lunch,” Eren said, smiling at Levi. Levi blinked a few times before looking away.

“No problem. You paid for breakfast.”

“Lunch was pricier. I’ll make it up to you,” Eren gleefully suggested. 

Levi smirked. “Looking forward to it.”

The waitress came back, quickly placing the check on the table before thanking them for their visit. She went to attend to other customers as Levi grabbed the check.

“Look, it’s obvious you scared her. She was so charmed by you and you were like ‘no,’” Eren said. Deep down, he was glad Levi didn’t show any interest to the waitress. She was an attractive woman and made Eren slightly insecure. However, she couldn’t win Levi. 

_Wait…_

As Levi wrote down the tip on the check, Eren thought to himself. Why would Levi ask to share a milkshake? He definitely could’ve finished it himself. It was evident earlier. Perhaps…

_Did Levi actually want to share it with me?_

Eren blushed as he arranged the dishes to make it easier for the waitress to clean up. It almost seemed a tad cliche. He realized that when he took the other straw to fight against Levi, he presented a scene where it looked like two lovers were gazing into each other’s eyes, sharing a milkshake. Except Eren was glaring at Levi while Levi stared blankly.

_But there was no way Levi wanted that._

Immediately, Armin's comment about carefully looking at Levi's actions popped in his head. But Eren wasn't sure if this was an action that could be classified as flirting in any way. Then again, Eren could always ask. 

“Um, Levi?”

Levi looked up, placing the check to the side before standing up. Eren followed suit and together, they walked out of the diner.

“What was the true reason you wanted to share a milkshake? You definitely could finish it if you wanted to.”

Levi stopped, and Eren stopped in front of him, turning around to look at Levi. The shorter man was staring at the tree next to them.

“The waitress kept staring at you and I wanted her to back off.”

Eren blankly stared at Levi. “So you got us a milkshake to share.”

“Yeah,” Levi said before briskly walking ahead. “Let’s go look at your succulents.”

“Ooh, yay!” Eren said, keeping up with Levi’s pace. Levi smiled at Eren’s enthusiasm.

Eren wanted to dive deeper into Levi’s explanation, but Levi didn’t seem that he wanted to do so, so he decided to back off a bit. He took in Levi's words. It was almost as if Levi was actually jealous. He'll have to figure it out. Moving onto a more pleasant thought, Eren thought about how Levi and he actually shared a milkshake together. They stared into each other’s eyes. He silently giggled to himself as they walked into Marco’s shop. 

“Welcome back!” Marco greeted, looking up from a bouquet he was arranging. Jean leaned against the counter, raising a hand up. 

“Nice to see you guys again. Eren looks giddy.”

“Don’t ruin my mood, Jean,” Eren said as he walked to the succulents. Levi followed the brunet and Jean decided to tag along. Eventually, Marco joined them after finishing the bouquet he was working on.

“Levi, do you think this one looks cute?” Eren pointed to a succulent that looked like a flower.

“Looks fine to me,” replied Levi.

“Ah, Sempervivum. Those are safe for cats,” Marco chimed in. 

Jean snickered. “But what’s safe for Eren?”

Eren punched Jean’s shoulder.

For 30 minutes, Eren picked out all of the succulents he found pretty, looking at Marco for confirmation of safety before asking Levi if he thought they were cute. Levi agreed to all of them, for Eren already had a good eye. Jean, being the clueless man he was when it came to succulents, just stood around. However, he would attend to customers whenever someone came in, allowing Marco to help Eren. 

“There are so many different types of Echeverias,” Eren cooed. “They’re all so cute.”

“I agree,” Marco said. “If I were you, I’d try to get the ones with a little bit of red on it. Just for that splash of color. Also, I’ll give you a discount.”

Eren turned to Marco, eyes sparkling. “A discount?”

He turned to Levi. “Did you hear that? We get a discount!”

“We’ll need it. You’re basically buying one of everything, brat.”

Jean walked over after tending a customer and rested his chin on Marco’s shoulder. Marco slightly leaned his head against Jean.

“Jaeger’s going to be a plant mom. I just know it,” Jean said. “Be careful, Levi.”

Levi sighed. “I’ve been mentally preparing myself as soon as Eren picked his fifth succulent.”

Eren and Levi left with 23 succulents. Marco generously gave a 50% discount, and Eren was more than happy to bring his babies home.

On the way back, Eren made them stop at a furniture store to get a shelf for display. He was going to ask to have it be shipped to his house, but Levi was persistent in carrying the pieces and assembling them together at the apartment. He lifted the box easily, leaving Eren amazed at his strength for holding something heavy for quite a walking distance.

At the apartment, Levi and Eren assembled the shelf as Captain watched. He pranced over to the succulents that Eren placed on the coffee table, sniffing a few of them before ignoring everything and taking a nap on the couch.

Eventually, a shelf full of succulents was built at the corner of the living room next to the baloney. 

Levi and Eren stood on the side, looking at their masterpiece.

"Not bad," said Levi.

"I know."

"Just don't buy any more succulents."

"..."

"Eren..."

"I'm not making any promises," pouted Eren. "They already add a nice nature-vibe to the apartment. It's just what we needed. I already plan on putting some string lights around them for night time."

"Fuck," Levi groaned. "You're so deep into this."

"Heh."

The rest of the day was spent with Eren and Levi deciding to binge a few seasons of Sherlock, a detective series. Levi had made some popcorn while Eren popped some premade cookies in the oven.

"I really like Moriarty as a villain," Eren said as he chomped on popcorn.

"Can't deny that," Levi agreed.

Dinner time came. Chinese take out scattered around the coffee table as Eren stole a piece of broccoli from Levi.

"I'm not even going to fight you," Levi commented. "I am not the biggest broccoli person."

"What is your favorite vegetable then?" Eren said before popping the broccoli in his house, chewing it while staring at Levi. 

Levi picked up a carrot from the lo mein. "Carrots. Squash comes after that though."

"Do you think corn is a vegetable?"

Levi grimaced. "While I'm sure it can classify as a vegetable, I look at it as a grain."

"Precisely!" Eren said. "Right, Captain?"

Captain meowed before eating his food. Eren had placed his bowl on the coffee table so that they could eat together. Levi joked that Eren might as well bring some of the succulents over but quickly grabbed Eren as the brunet got up.

They finished the food and cleaned up before Levi hopped in the shower. Three minutes later, Eren showered. Ten minutes later, Captain took his bath. One hour later, Captain leaped out of the bathtub. Eren and Levi both sat on the floor, a claw mark on Levi's forearm and a bite mark on Eren's hand.

"Captain licks himself all the damn time. Why can't he handle one bath?" Levi complained. 

Eren shrugged. "He smells good though."

"He really does."

Thirty minutes later, the two gentlemen sat on the couch, finishing up the third season of Sherlock. Eren started to ignore the television, turning his head to Levi.

"Did you have fun today?" Eren quietly asked.

Levi grabbed the remote to pause the show before looking back at Eren. "Yeah. Did you?"

"Yeah," Eren smiled.

Levi played the show. As they watched Sherlock, Eren felt himself getting tired. He glanced over at Levi, who was resting his chin on his arm, leaning against the armrest. Captain was sitting on Levi's lap, taking a nice nap. 

Eren's head bobbled a bit before he fell asleep sitting up. He slid a bit to the side to where his cheek slumped against Levi's arm.

Levi eyed the brunet as Eren started snoring quietly. He chuckled at the sight before watching the screen.

Eventually, he felt his eyelids getting heavy and covered his mouth with his hand as he yawned.

Captain stirred in his lap.

Levi glanced in the direction of his room before looking at the brunet sleeping on him. He then looked at the black cat curled up.

"Oh, what the hell," Levi mumbled to himself, adjusting his position to comfortably sleep on the couch.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a small snippet that I wanted to add hehe.

Levi wanted to not exist.

He had just woken up from falling asleep on the couch. It was barely dawn on a Sunday, and he should be sleeping in. 

Unfortunately, he was not sleeping in. Fortunately, Eren was snuggling on top of him. Levi’s head was resting against a pillow on one end of the couch. The brunet’s head was on Levi’s chest, his cheek squished against it. One leg was bent against Levi’s waist, while the other was sticking off the other side of the couch. His hands rested on Levi's chest. Levi’s left arm rested on his side, while the other arm wrapped itself around Eren’s shoulders. 

If Eren lowered his leg, he would nudge the raging boner that Levi was sporting.

To reiterate, Levi wanted to disappear.

He recalled what happened the night before. They were watching Sherlock and became too lazy to get in their own rooms to sleep. Captain was also sleeping with them not long ago, but the cat made his way to the balcony to embrace the sun rays peeking through the blinds. 

Levi sighed to himself. It had been a good day. He got to spend time with Eren, starting off the morning with a nice breakfast provided by Papa Arlet and ending the night with take out and shows. Eren had called it a date a few times, even if it wasn’t intentional. Regardless, it made Levi’s rigid heart bubbly. And that was a feeling he was not used to.

To be frank, he wasn’t used to the feelings he had when around Eren. It was foreign, but he hesitantly welcomed it, for it was also pleasant. Being around Eren helped him feel young again. And even if he felt extremely old next to Eren, he still felt content regardless. Levi found himself looking forward to their meals together and when he didn’t want to be his introverted self, he found himself sitting next to Eren as Eren watched more cooking videos on his phone, occasionally showing Levi some potential dishes he may make.

Eren made Levi happy. 

However, Eren also had the body of an underwear model. Levi remembered how Eren bought name brand underwear to release his inner wannabe model persona; the younger then laughed as he shook his head, saying that there was no way he could be a model. 

_But he could totally be a model._

Even in a plain t-shirt that was slightly big on him and fuzzy pajama pants.

But Levi would’ve preferred to see him in nothing at the moment.

Eren made Levi horny.

He mentally facepalmed himself.

Why was he thinking like this? 

Levi blamed Hanji, who primed him by sending him pictures of Eren in a swimsuit when he first moved in. He blamed Hanji, who would make creepy glances at him every time she caught Levi staring at Eren’s ass.

It was all Hanji’s fault that his cock painfully throbbed as Eren adjusted his position, moving his leg dangerously closer.

_And the brat was still sleeping._

Levi had a lot to think about. He couldn’t understand the fine line between infatuation and a full out crush. Especially towards Eren. The day before only made Levi more interested in the man, but he almost felt scared to admit anything in fear of getting hurt.

He was careful, wanting to understand why he always wanted to be around Eren, whether it be to just sit in silence while doing their own thing or to eat croissants together.

But as Eren’s hand glided down his chest, Levi let out a shaky breath.

It had been way too long since he got laid.

At the moment, all Levi wanted was to wake up Eren and do things that he would never tell Hanji.

_How, for fucks sake, is the brat not awake?_

Levi could’ve sworn that Eren’s breathing changed a bit as he stirred around. Eren moved himself up to where his lips were close to Levi’s ear. His hand was dangerously close to making Levi beg.

Eren groaned a bit, almost as if he were waking up.

Levi tried to even out his breathing. His heart was borderline pounding in his chest.

“Levi…” 

Levi gulped as he heard Eren’s morning voice, a tad deeper than his usual tone. 

“Morning,” Levi said as nonchalantly as he could.

He felt Eren move up a bit, feeling Eren’s breath against his ear.

“May I?” whispered Eren. 

“W-what?” stuttered Levi, wanting to do nothing but slam his head against a wall. 

He could almost feel the grin Eren had as Eren tugged on Levi’s bottoms.

“Ravish you as I please,” purred Eren as he tilted his head to place a gentle kiss on Levi’s neck.

Levi felt his voice hitch. Was it actually happening? The dream that Levi refused to admit he dreamt for several nights. 

“Couldn’t help but notice your little problem,” continued Eren. “And it turned me on greatly, I must say. So do answer me, Levi. _May I_?”

Levi couldn't bring himself to speak for a bit. He only turned his head slightly to look at Eren, who was staring at him with dark arousal in his eyes. The sight made Levi want Eren further.

“Yes,” Levi timidly responded. 

Eren chuckled lightly as he slid his hand under Levi’s pants, gently resting his palm on top of his boxers. Levi felt the warmth through the thin fabric, gasping quietly at the slight pressure Eren pressed against him. 

“Do you want more?” asked Eren as he traced the outlines of Levi’s cock, making the older man shiver.

Levi couldn’t bring himself to say anything, opting to only nod.

Eren took his hand out of Levi’s pants, earning a quiet moan from the man. Levi watched as Eren lowered himself slowly, stopping when he was face to face with the prominent bulge.

“I can’t wait to see your beautiful cock,” Eren smugly said as he grabbed the hems of Levi’s pants, tugging them. Levi lifted his hips to help Eren lower his pants down. He felt the cool air hit around his cock as it sprung free from the fabric restraints. Eren’s eyes widened at the sight, licking his lips.

Levi stared, taking in the sight of Eren kissing the tip. He wanted so much. He would love to see Eren sucking him off, or Eren under him as he slammed into that nice ass, or Eren pushing him against a wall as he fucked Levi hard. Any of those options would do.

Eren slowly licked the bottom of Levi’s shaft, making his way up slowly as he maintained eye contact with Levi, who had grabbed Eren’s hair carefully.

“Levi,” Eren stopped at the tip, making Levi groan.

“ _What_ ,” Levi sneered, wanting the beautiful green-eyed man to continue what he had started.

“Do you want me to go further?” ask Eren, his mouth curled into a smirk.

“Fuck,” Levi gritted his teeth. “Yes.”

“Yes, what?” Eren teased, raising one eyebrow.

Levi rolled his eyes. “Fuck, please suck me.”

“Levi?”

“Meow.”

_“Leviii…”_

_“Meooooow.”_

Levi suddenly opened his eyes. He looked at his surroundings. Right on his chest was Captain, who was slightly sitting on Eren’s sleeping face. 

He looked at the window. It was still dawn. He looked at Eren, who was snoozing on top of him.

All Levi wanted to do was scream in frustration.

_It was a fucking dream._

Captain eyed the raven-haired man before jumping off them and walking to the kitchen, where his empty bowl was. Levi sighed as he carefully wiggled out from under Eren.

Eren was still asleep. Levi had forgotten how heavy of a sleeper the man could be. 

He looked down as he stood up, glaring at the arousal his wet dream created for him. Disappointment filled his head. But a tad bit of confusion too.

Levi still needed to figure out his feelings. He considered talking to Hanji about it. But only for a brief moment. The four-eyes would probably be happy at the fact that Levi was displaying some sort of affection for something other than a sale on cleaning supplies. And then she would be annoying and bother him more. 

After he gave Captain some food, Levi darted to the bathroom and took a shower that was slightly longer than his usual three-minute ones. 


	15. Chapter 15

**[Levi Ackerman]**

_I need you to come over._

**[Hanji Zoe]**

_Woooooooo I’ve finally been invited! About time, you dipshit._

**[Levi Ackerman]**

_I’m going through a crisis._

**[Hanji Zoe]**

_It probably not a crisis but okieeee_

Eren placed a mug of black tea next to Levi’s laptop. Levi turned his phone upside down on the dining table as he looked up at the brunet.

“Figured you’d like a nice drink,” Eren smiled, scratching the back of his head. “I’ll actually be at Papa Arlet’s place if you need me. Sometimes he gets backed up, so he’ll call me. It means I get to work with Armin too since we’re subbing in for Sasha and Connie. Sasha got food poisoning and Connie is working on his thesis before his meeting with his advisor tomorrow.”

Levi sipped his tea. “Sounds good. Hanji will be over soon too.”

Eren stretched his back, wincing as it cracked. “I shouldn’t have fallen asleep on the couch last night.”

Levi huffed in his mug.

“I’m sorry if I made things uncomfortable,” Eren said, looking away from the older man. 

Levi waved his hand. “Don’t worry. It happens. I fell asleep too. I’m just praising the great Gods that you didn’t drool on me.”

“I want to chuck a pillow at you.”

“You’ll mess up my hair.”

Eren chuckled as he walked through to the front door. “You should swing by. To the cafe, I mean.”

Levi turned around and raised his eyebrow. “Should I?”

“With Hanji,” Eren quickly added. “It’ll be a nice surprise... or something… Okay, peace out!”

With a quick wave, Eren practically ran out of the apartment, leaving Levi with his tea and Captain sprawled on the couch. The sight of Eren’s red ears stuck on Levi’s mind, making his cheeks heat up as he placed his mug on the dining table before covering his face.

“Captain,” Levi groaned. The cat meowed lazily.

“Come here.”

Captain stretched his body before he got up and leaped off the couch. He pranced over to Levi, who patted his lap twice. The cat jumped on Levi’s lap and looked at the gentleman.

“Okay, so listen,” Levi started. Captain meowed.

“I’m having a crisis, and I’m going to tell you first before I tell Hanji. Gives me some protection of my pride. You understand, right?”

“Meow.”

“How do you know if you have a crush on someone?” Levi asked, eyeing the cat. Captain only blinked.

“See, you’re a fucking cat. This is why I like talking to you. You aren’t annoying most of the time. Anyway, I think your dear owner is cute. And I’m talking about Eren, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you were thinking of me,” Levi chuckled to himself. Eventually, Levi started laughing out loud, covering his mouth. Captain yawned. 

“God, I can be so funny sometimes,” Levi said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. “Right, Captain?”

No response. Captain made himself comfortable, circling around Levi’s lap before curling up.

Levi sighed. “I think I have a small crush on the brat. But wouldn’t that ruin the dynamic we have? We’re housemates, and I rather die than go back to Hanji’s shitty place. I guess I could go to Erwin’s house. But I like it here. And then there is the custody of you. Do you want to live like that?”

He took a sip of his tea. “Is it wrong to have a crush on your housemate? It was almost as if we clicked immediately. Do you think Eren has ever thought about me like that?”

Captain meowed as he looked up at the raven-haired man. 

“It wouldn’t be unpleasant to admit I like Eren in that way. But I don’t like rejection.”

Captain leaped off Levi’s lap, moving to the front door. He sat down and stared at the knob. Moments later, a rapid knocking disrupted the silence of the apartment. 

Levi groaned, not quite ready to talk to Hanji, as he got up.

“I brought fries,” Hanji cheered, holding up a bag before stepping into the apartment. She remembered to take off her shoes, earning a nod of approval from Levi.

“Sit at the dining table. I don’t trust you to eat anywhere else,” directed Levi as Hanji started walking to the couch. She froze in place before slowly turning around and gloomily sat herself down at the table. Levi sat across from her.

“How was yesterday?” Hanji asked as she opened the container of fries. “Oh, I was at Papa Arlet’s and he gave me extra fries on the house! We should go back, I saw Eren while heading over.”

Levi got up and grabbed some chopsticks from a drawer in the kitchen before sitting down again. He grabbed a fry while waiting for Hanji to open the lid to the special sauce.

“Honestly… it was great,” Levi said.

Hanji said nothing as he dipped his fry. He brought the fry to his mouth as he questioningly looked at the brunette. Her mouth was opened as she gawked at her friend.

“Levi, you’re smiling,” Hanji whispered. “I need to know everything. The piercing looks good, by the way.”

Levi touched his face, feeling the corner of his mouth before he dropped the smile.

And so Levi told her most things. He told her about how they ate at the park before going to Marco’s. About how Eren was kind of nervous getting his piercing but it turned out well. He talked about how they went home with 23 succulents and spent most of the day watching TV and eating. And how they fell asleep on the couch together.

Through all the explanation, Hanji was calm, absorbing every word that came out of Levi’s mouth. She didn’t even eat a single fry.

“You guys slept together?”

“He’s cute when he’s asleep,” Levi grumbled, reaching out for another fry.

“You think… Eren’s cute?”

“And that’s why I asked you to come over,” Levi sighed. 

Hanji finally grabbed a few fries with her finger. Levi winced at the sight of her aggressively dipping her fries in the sauce before shoving them in her mouth.

“I’m listening,” Hanji nommed. 

“Yesterday was fairly delightful. The brat is fun to be around. But I’m getting very confused now.”

“About your feelings?”

Levi nodded.

“Okay,” Hanji started. “Do you feel calm around him?”

A nod.

“Do you want to be around him all the time?”

A nod.

“Do you get jealous?”

Levi was about to shake his head until the image of the waitress eyeing Eren popped in his head. He looked down at the fries before slowly nodding his head.

Hanji slammed the table, standing up from her seat.

“Fuck, Levi? Jealous? You? Hooooo, ho, ho,” she cackled. “I bet you’re whipped. More whipped than even I could imagine. Whipper than the freshest whipped cream out there. And you know how white whipped cream is? Have you seen your skin?”

“Sit,” Levi gritted through his teeth. Hanji immediately sat down and shoved a few fries in her mouth. 

“What should I do?” Levi asked after a moment of silence.

“I think Eren likes you,” Hanji said as she munched on another fry.

Levi raised his eyebrow. “You think?”

“I see him stare at your arms sometimes. I haven’t gotten a chance to hang out with you both as often as I’d like,” Hanji said as she glared at Levi. Levi shrugged.

“However, you and Eren got really comfortable with each other fast, but in a good way. Your interactions seem very natural and sometimes I get the hint that there is a flirtatious tone somewhere. Remember when we watched that movie together?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t a bad movie,” Levi recalled.

“You and Eren were on the same couch.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Levi, you love your personal space. You and Eren basically touch every time you guys sit next to each other. Within a matter of months, this man has been able to be physically closer to you than it took for Erwin or me.”

“I feared that Erwin’s eyebrows would crawl on me if I got too close. And you’re disgusting. I used to knock you out to shower you back in college because you were such a workaholic. Eren is the only person who has been able to meet my cleaning standards.”

Hanji snorted. “That alone should answer your question about if you like him or not.”

Levi paused while Hanji got another fry. He hovered his chopsticks over the fries.

“That is kind of a good point.” He finally grabbed a fry and lightly dipped it in the sauce.

They both ate fries silently, Levi thinking while Hanji staring.

“The Gala is coming up,” Hanji spoke out.

“Eren’s friends came over and told me,” Levi said.

“Oooh, was it Marco and Jean? Marco’s such a sweetheart, and Jean’s a fun guy to be around,” Hanji laughed. “You should ask Eren out!”

“No.”

“Are you chicken?” Hanji teased. Levi gave her the finger.

“I kind of want to see what he would do. Would he even say yes to me if I asked?” Levi quietly said, a pang of insecurity hitting his heart.

Hanji crossed her arms and leaned against the chair. “You never know unless you ask.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. I want answers,” Levi complained.

“Fine, fine,” Hanji said. “I think you have a solid shot. You’re truly underestimating how big of a chance you have with Eren. And I’m saying this as a scientist and a friend. You can have the last fry.”

Levi picked up the fry. “So should I ask him to the Gala?”

Hanji pondered for a bit as Levi ate. “You could, but maybe Eren will ask you. That, I’m not sure. Also, I think your feelings for each other are becoming a bit more evident for you guys. Sounds like yesterday really helped.”

“Maybe I’m being dumb. Eren probably doesn’t like me. I’m bound to be alone for the rest of my life. Captain,” Levi looked at the black cat. “You’re in it for the long run.”

“Stop being like this,” groaned Hanji. “You’re not going to be forever alone. Don’t automatically dismiss every good thing that happens to you as a fluke. Here, I have an idea.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s spend the day at Papa Arlet’s. I have my stuff with me in my car so I can work there. You still have to prepare for your classes this semester. This will be our workday. And I will be that friend that points out everything for you since your dumb ass either can’t or refuse to recognize when someone likes you,” Hanji said, every word crisp. 

Levi thought about saying no because it was Hanji, but then he thought about being able to see Eren in an apron, giving him a croissant with that cute smile of his.

“Fine.”

“Yay!” Hanji cheered. She crouched down on the floor to pet Captain. “I’m gonna see Levi blush around Eren!”

Levi groaned.

"But wait, I have to know," Hanji stared at Levi. "Do you like Eren?"

"...Maybe." Levi refused to look at Hanji.

"So yes," Hanji grinned mischievously. Levi did not respond to her comment.

Captain meowed before making his way to Eren’s room. 

Soon, they were sitting in the middle of the cafe against the window. Levi got out his laptop, plugging in his charger to the wall outlet. He took off his glasses and wiped the lenses with the microfiber cloth.

“Give me your glasses, you shit head. I’m sure they’re disgusting,” Levi said, putting on his glasses and extending his hand out.

Hanji pouted but took off her glasses for Levi anyway. He grabbed them and crinkled his face at the smeared fingerprints on her lenses.

“Anyone sitting here?”

Levi and Hanji both looked up to see Erwin with his laptop bag in his hand.

“Erwin! We got the trio here!” Hanji said. “Please join!”

Levi nodded at the blond, who asked a neighboring table if they could spare a chair. He slid the chair up to the table and sat down, taking out his laptop. 

“We just got here, and I’m going to order something. What do you guys want?” Hanji asked, getting up from her seat.

“Oolong tea and a croissant.”

“I see Armin working today. I’ll take his recommendation,” Erwin cooly said. Hanji only grinned as she skipped to the cashier. 

Levi looked around. He didn’t see Eren yet, meaning that his housemate could be in the back. Armin was working the register, smiling at Hanji as Hanji frantically waved her hands around for whatever reason.

“I see Armin working today,” Levi mocked with a high pitched voice. “I’ll take his recommendation.”

Erwin rolled his eyes. “I trust his word. How is the course prepping going?”

“I got one class ready, the introductory English course,” Levi replied. “I’m arranging things for my PhD student and almost done with the Life Writing courses.”

“I’m so surprised you’re willing to pick up 3 courses this semester, along with the PhD advising,” Erwin said. 

“My PhD student is doing well, so it’ll be okay for now. And with it being the fall and not summer, I’ll have more time. You know how I work, Erwin. And you can’t be talking. You’re literally the head of the history department.”

Erwin chuckled. “I guess I can’t.”

“Things going well with you?”

“Yes. I have only one course to teach this upcoming semester, but two of my students are finishing up their dissertation.”

Levi nodded as he opened up his email, filled with prospective students introducing themselves. Hanji came back, eyeing the two gentlemen working hard, and decided to mirror the action. 

A few minutes later, a cup of oolong was placed next to Levi’s laptop. The man looked away from his screen to be greeted by a bright smile and eyes. He silently fist-bumped the air as he noticed a black apron tied around Eren’s waist. 

“Hey, Levi,” Eren grinned. “Got your tea for you.”

“Thanks,” Levi said as he blew on the tea before cautiously taking a sip.

“How are you, Eren?” Erwin asked. Eren flinched a bit before turning to the blond gentleman. 

“I’m doing well,” Eren smiled. “And yourself? And what about you, Hanji?”

“I’m the same as Levi, getting ready for classes.”

“I’m writing my speech for the Gala! I should be working on other documents but I’m procrastinating.”

Eren rolled his eyes. “Don’t procrastinate. Actually, you procrastinating isn’t even procrastinating. Your documents probably aren’t due for another week. Anyway, good to see you guys here! I love seeing familiar faces. I’ll stop by a few times.”

He waved as he walked away. As soon as he was out of earshot, Hanji jerked her head to Levi.

“There. When he said hey. Homeboy stared at you for so long that he didn’t recognize Erwin and I until Erwin said something.”

Erwin cocked his eyebrow. “Levi has an admirer?”

“And he likes him back! They even got matching ear piercings!” Hanji exclaimed.

“Shut the fuck up,” Levi grumbled, eyes directed at his laptop. 

“But I’m intrigued,” Erwin pouted. 

“Just like how you are with Armin?” Hanji said, jumping in her seat.

“Called it,” Levi voiced.

“He’s just interesting to me,” Erwin shrugged. “We get along well.”

“Mmhm,” Levi rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, Eyebrows.”

“Eyebrows?”

The trio looked up to see Armin stifling a giggle as he placed Levi’s croissant down. Erwin smiled gently as he made room on the table for his food.

“Interesting nickname,” Armin said. “I got you a sausage quiche with a glass of Beaujolais.”

“Red wine? Erwin, you fancy bitch,” Levi called out. 

“I’m excited to try this pairing,” Erwin stated, ignoring the comment. 

Armin grinned before he placed Hanji’s three cinnamon rolls down. They were stacked on top of each other with a stick in the middle to prevent any falling. He also placed a cup of coffee next to her plate.

“And here are your cinnamon rolls. I swear you’re part of the top three fans of the cinnamon rolls. Eren being the second, but Sasha is the first.”

“Thank you!” Hanji gleefully said as she immediately started eating. 

“I’ll be heading out,” Armin waved. “Do tell me how you find the pairing, Erwin!”

As Armin walked away, Erwin stared after him.

“He’s just interesting to me,” Levi mocked. “We get along well.”

“I bet you’re whipped,” Hanji said, eyes sparkling as she sniffed the cinnamon roll. “I just know it.”

Erwin sighed. “Leave me alone. I have more important matters to attend.”

“Like getting that ass?”

“Levi!” Erwin scolded as Levi chuckled behind his cup. 

The trio continued to work, occasionally interrupted by either Eren or Armin for a quick hello. With that, Hanji’s comments follow up after each visit.

“Levi, Eren almost placed his hand on your shoulder.”

“Armin blushed while watching you sip that wine.”

“He quickly walked away when you brushed your hair back. You did it in that sexy model way. Poor Eren. I hope he doesn’t sprout a boner.”

“Okay, you winked at him. How was Armin not supposed to blush at that?”

“Did Eren give you a free croissant? He’s spoiling you and making you a stereotypical French man. Where’s the beret?”

“You got a refill on wine? Man, where are my free quirks?”

“I would like to thank the great Gods for the existence of Papa Arlet and his free slice of chai cake.”

Dinner time quickly came. Papa Arlet walked over to the trio, a smile wrinkling up his face.

“Hello, folks. If you’d like, I plan on having dinner with Eren and Armin when we close. You are more than welcome to join.”

“It would be an honor,” Levi said. 

Papa Arlet smirked. “Lovely. Eren said he usually ate his meals with you. Well, I’ll see you all in a bit.”

When the old man walked away, Erwin snickered.

“It would be an honor,” the blond mimicked. 

“Shut the fuck up,” Levi snarked as Hanji laughed. 

The restaurant was closing. Everyone had a productive work session, closing their laptops before offering to help close. Eren handed Levi a broom while Armin tossed a rag to Erwin. Hanji helped Papa Arlet put away the leftover baked goods so that he could drop them off at the homeless shelter after work.

The kitchen staff went home, leaving the six people in the restaurant. Everything was all set up before everyone besides Armin and his grandfather sat themselves down at a big table. 

“How was work today?” Levi asked Eren, downing a glass of water.

“Good,” Eren said. “I’m always happy to help Papa Arlet. You guys will love the stew he made. I could smell it near the end of the shift and my mouth was drooling.”

“Hello!” Armin greeted as he entered the main area, holding a giant pot of stew with the older man following behind with bowls, spoons, and a basket of bread.

Erwin got up to take the pot of stew from Armin, who protested that he wasn’t weak. 

“I know, but I just wanted to be nice,” Erwin smoothly replied.

“You don’t need to flex on your masculinity, Shitbrows,” Levi called out, earning a laugh from everyone, including Erwin.

Erwin instead accompanied Armin and Papa Arlet to the table and started setting it up, placing a bowl and spoon in front of everyone. Hanji and Eren stared at the food as Levi opted to pour everyone some stew.

Hanji grabbed a slice of bread. “Thank you for this wonderful meal. I truly did deserve it.”

Levi smacked the back of Hanji’s head.

Papa Arlet chuckled. “You all deserved it. I saw each of you guys working hard today so I wanted to reward you guys. Wish my kitchen staff could’ve stayed though, but perhaps next time.”

“Thanks, Gramps!” Eren beamed before shoving a spoonful of stew in his mouth, sighing at the delicacy of the vegetables. He dipped a piece of bread in the broth before glancing over at Levi.

Levi chose that time to glance over at Eren, and they both held eye contact for a few seconds before Eren shyly smiled, a sigh that made Levi’s heart melt. He quickly looked away and nibbled on his bread, Levi still looking in awe.

“How are your lesson plans going?” Armin asked Erwin.

“Well, I must say. Today was quite productive,” Erwin responded.

“Hey there, I saw you getting distracted a few times,” Levi chimed in while Hanji snorted. 

“Don’t be a hypocrite, my dear Levi.”

“Call me dear again and I swear you’re going to be like a deer staring at headlights,” Levi grumbled as Eren laughed.

“Well, I say that Eren and Armin did a great job today. You two really helped me out,” Papa Arlet praised. The two men gleamed, looking at each other before fist-bumping.

The rest of the dinner was spent with cheerful talk. Hanji talked more about the Gala, inviting everyone at the table to it. Papa Arlet joked about how he was getting too old to go, but requested pictures from everyone. Hanji then mentioned that they were going to have a chocolate fountain and Papa Arlet said that he would stop by for a bit.

“Are you allowed to invite people outside of the business?” Levi asked. 

“I don’t invite too many people. Outside of the business, I’ve invited Marco, who will probably bring Jean, Moblit, and everyone here. Besides, I can handle it. I’m careful, you know!” Hanji replied.

“Who is this Moblit?” Papa Arlet asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“Just a nurse that Hanji has been crushing on but won’t admit it,” Levi replied, eyeing the brunette. Hanji sheepishly smiled and paid extra attention to the bowl in front of her.

“Ah,” Papa Arlet replied. “Bring him in some time.”

Hanji looked up at the elder. “I will. I’m sure he’ll love the place. He’s quite the reader. Honestly, who doesn’t love this place?”

Everyone agreed. Papa Arlet won an award for the best local cafe and book hybrid in town a few months back. The string lights that Armin recently hung around the bookshelves made the cafe look cozier. 

“You all flatter me,” Papa Arlet chuckled. “Please, help yourself to more.”

“Don’t mind if I do!” Eren cheered, scooping some stew in his bowl. 

Within an hour, the pot was empty and no breadcrumbs remained (Hanji licked the breadbasket). Everyone cleaned up and stood outside the cafe as Papa Arlet locked up.

He turned around to the small bundle of people. “Thank you all for coming. It brings me great joy.”

“It was truly a pleasure,” Levi said. “Thank you for the delicious dinner.”

Erwin and Hanji nodded. Papa Arlet turned to the two younger adults. 

“Thank you for your help again.”

Armin beamed. “Not a problem, gramps!”

“You can always count on me,” Eren said. “But I have to get ready for tomorrow, so I’ll take my leave now. Levi?”

The raven-haired man nodded and waved to the crowd with Eren. They both started walking to the apartment, full of the delicious dinner.

“You’re a very nice person,” Levi commented as they reached the front door. 

Eren chuckled as he pulled out the key. “Pops has done so much for me. Nothing can amount to that. Besides, I’ve always wanted to work at a cute cafe. He lets me fulfill that.”

The door unlocked and they both stepped in, taking off their shoes before Levi made a beeline to the shower. Eren took out some peppermint tea for when Levi finished his three-minute shower. He also gave Captain his dinner.

When Levi exited the shower, Eren hopped in. When Eren finished, Levi was in his room, laying on his bed. Eren boiled water and poured it into two mugs before walking over to Levi’s bedroom.

“Come in my room, I want to let my panda have some company,” Eren called out before heading into his own room, placing the mugs on his nightstand before turning his lamp on. He got underneath the covers before grabbing his mug for a sip. A gentle knock was on the door, and Eren gave Levi approval to come in and sit on the bed with him.

“You are okay with drinking on the bed?” Levi asked as he hesitantly sat on the edge.

“It’s not food and I’m clean,” Eren shrugged as he blew on his drink.

Levi looked behind him, where Suzuki the panda sat on the floor. “Does the panda have a name?”

“Suzuki,” Eren replied. “He/him.”

“Hello, Suzuki,” Levi greeted. “Why is his name Suzuki?”

“I wanted him to be named after the most popular name in Japan!”

“Um, hate to burst your bubble,” Levi started, slowly turning from the panda to Eren. “But I think the most popular name in Japan is Sato.”

Eren gasped, almost dropping his mug.

“Fuck, Eren! Be careful!” Levi scolded. Eren placed his mug back on his nightstand before turning around and shoving his face against his pillow.

“I feel stupid,” Eren murmured. Levi chuckled as he leaned over to shuffle Eren’s hair.

“You’re not stupid,” Levi reassured. Eren felt himself tilt his head against Levi’s palm, sad at the lack of warmth when Levi pulled his hand back. He sat up, his back against the headboard.

“When do you think Erwin and Armin are going to get together?” Levi asked.

Eren scoffed. “Quicker than Hanji and Moblit. I want to give them all the push that they need.”

“What push do they need though?” asked Levi before taking a sip of his drink. He placed his mug on the nightstand next to Eren’s before he laid down across the bed. His legs hung on the side and Eren watched him swing them a bit.

“You’re asking the wrong person. I don’t know much about romance,” Eren said.

Levi paused for a bit before looking at the ceiling. “If you were in, say, Armin’s place, what push do you think will help you pursue someone you like?”

Eren scratched his head. “I dunno. It’s been a while since I had a romantic partner. Maybe they’ll have to be straight forward. Armin says that he also likes bluntness. But the timing has to be right.”

He nudged Levi’s thigh with his foot. “What about you?”

“Maybe the same as you. Erwin wouldn’t need anyone to tell him directly. He probably would’ve figured it out way before the other person, so it would be up to them,” Levi replied, turning to Eren.

“So how do you prompt someone to be straightforward?” Eren asked.

“I don’t know, flowers? Chocolate? The whole romantic cliche thing? I personally think that’s a bit much and should be saved for another time. Roses are dumb. Seduce me with a bouquet of cleaning supplies and a tea collection,” Levi rambled, earning a hearty laugh from the other man.

“Levi, that’s so you,” Eren said between giggles. 

Levi shrugged but smirked. “I’m a man of simple taste.”

“Is my tea collection not enough for you? You even added some more to it!” Eren joked. 

“Ah, you’re right. I guess only new cleaning supplies. You’re running low.”

“That is true. I need to get on that. But later.”

“Lazy fuck.”

“You’re not wrong. Wait, you can get them too!”

“I, too, am a lazy fuck. But when the time comes, I will definitely get it.”

Eren rolled his eyes as he watched Captain come into the room, leaping on the bed before curling up between the two gentlemen. He reached out to pet the black fur, receiving a purr in response.

“Captain, how do you get two people to confess to each other?”

Captain looked at Eren before looking at Levi. He then meowed and closed his eyes.

“Thank you for your input,” Levi sarcastically said.

“It was worth a shot,” Eren chuckled. He checked the time. It was two hours before midnight. The night was still young. At least, to Eren. 

“It feels like it should be midnight already,” Eren commented.

“You’ve been working all day.”

“So have you. Are you ready for FDOC tomorrow?”

Levi got up and moved his legs on the bed, facing Eren as he pulled Captain to his lap. Captain opened one eye before closing it again.

“Yeah. Notes are all settled. Plus it’s the first day, so no major assignments will be assigned. Erwin’s making everyone create a PowerPoint about themselves to send to him personally.”

“That’s a lot,” Eren said.

“I know. But it is with his upper-level course. The class size is smaller, maybe 40 students.”

Eren and Levi continued to talk about Levi’s plans for the first week. The professor had two classes with 30 people and another class with 150 people and he was going to have them write a small story about themselves. It would give him a grasp of their writing styles.

“Your focus is on creative writing, right?” asked Eren.

Levi nodded. “Yeah, but sometimes the department will make professors teach the standard English course that everyone has to take for some reason. I don’t mind it though, but I favor the ones more centered around creative writing.”

“I wish I could write.”

“Come sit in my classes sometimes,” Levi blurted out. “We can pretend you’re evaluating me or something. I don’t know. If you want to. It doesn’t matter.”

Eren chuckled. “I’d love to. My work is flexible.”

Levi’s ears turned a tad red, but Eren didn’t notice with the lighting in the room. 

They continued to talk until midnight. Levi seemed hesitant to get up, but he bid Eren goodnight and Captain followed him to his room. Eren felt the room get a little colder as if Levi took some warmth away from him.

He then looked across his bed, where his dresser stood. A TV could easily fit on top of it. A small one. He thought about the previous night, where they fell asleep while watching the television.

Eren decided that he’ll look for a television to place in his room. Only because it was more comfortable to watch it in bed. With all the pillows. Not to fall asleep with Levi again.

He groaned as he plopped his head on his pillow.

It was definitely to fall asleep with Levi again.

He was crushing hard. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did anyone get the suzuki reference i really hope someone did


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! I just wanted to give out a thank you to those who are choosing to read this story. Your comments have been a pleasure to read and they make me so happy :) Thank you for your support and I hope you continue to enjoy the story of our favorite couple falling in love!

Levi’s last class of the week was Friday at noon. Eren always made sure he finished everything he needed to do by that time so that he could attend Levi’s Life Writing class as a “mock” student. He had only gone twice so far, but Eren enjoyed it. He liked the short stories that Levi had assigned the class to read, although he got nervous when it came to sharing his short stories with the class. Levi assured him that he was doing okay and told him that he can provide extra help at home. 

It was becoming a thing for Eren and Levi to have lunch together after the Friday class. The previous week, they made sandwiches the night before and ate outside near the student union. 

“I feel like a college student again,” commented Eren as he ate his apple. They opted to sit outside again. The weather was weirdly cool, but Eren knew that it would randomly go back to hotter weather soon. However, the weather was nice. With the cool weather came the sun. The skies were clear and Eren loved it. He had on a long-sleeved purple dress shirt with brown slacks, accented with dark brown blue-light glasses that Levi gave him as a random gift one day.

“You know people generally wear blue-light glasses when they’re looking at electronics,” Levi commented. He wore a black collared shirt with black slacks, with his glasses hanging between the collar. The man eyed Eren as he sipped his black coffee from his thermos. 

Eren pouted. “But I look smart!”

Levi rolled his eyes. “You literally have a Ph.D. You’re plenty smart, brat.”

“Armin says I look like a dumb bitch sometimes.”

“I see that.”

“Levi!” Eren crossed his arms. He was about to bite into his apple again when he saw two blond heads peeking from the corner of his eye.

Eren immediately leaned to Levi. “Is it just me, or are Armin and Erwin walking together to the library?”

Levi turned to where Eren motioned, watching the two gentlemen laugh at something as they walked inside the building. 

“Yeah.”

“Let’s follow them,” Eren said as he gathered his stuff. 

Levi sighed, debating if he really wanted to stalk his friend and the buddy his friend was eyeing. He then concluded that it wouldn’t matter what he wanted, for Eren would drag him if he had to. He grabbed his bag and thermos, pushing the chair in before walking with Eren to the library. When they walked through the door, they spotted Armin and Erwin at the research hub to the left, talking to someone at the main desk. 

Eren grabbed Levi’s arm and dragged him behind a shelf, peeking over the books while Levi only glared at him.

“You’re being weird,” Levi commented.

“No,” mumbled Eren. He continued to peer at the blond duo while Levi mindlessly looked at the surrounding books.

“Professor Ackerman!”

Levi and Eren both turned to see a student from Levi’s Life Writing course. 

“Oh, hi Eren!” The student waved. She turned to Levi. “Could I ask you a question about the assignment due on Monday please? Or are you busy?”

“Levi is fine,” Levi replied. “And sure, what questions do you have?”

While Levi attended to his student, Eren turned around to see Armin and Erwin staring right at the bookshelf that they were behind. They made eye contact before Eren decided to slowly turn around, pretending to be immersed in the conversation Levi was having with his student.

“Thanks a lot, Levi! I’ll see you in class!” The student also waved at Eren before turning around and leaving the library.

Levi looked at Eren. “Do you think she knows you’re not actually a student?”

Eren shrugged. “Did you ever do introductions?”

“Yes, on the first day. But for the first two weeks of classes, students switch in and out of different courses. I wouldn’t be surprised if no one knew you weren’t actually a student.”

“I literally plan on showing up once a week.”

“So let them think that you’re bad with attendance.”

“Oh, yeah,” Eren said. “I think Armin and Erwin know we’re here.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “I’m not surprised. They probably sensed your presence because you’re just that bad.”

“Actually, it was the fact that a student called out your name, Professor Ackerman,” a deep voice followed. Eren and Levi turned to see Armin smiling at the duo while Erwin shook his head.

“May I ask why you guys are here?”

“I teach here.”

“I attend Levi’s class sometimes. Wait, why are you here?” Eren pointed at the smaller blond.

“Erwin was talking to me about history nerd stuff that you wouldn’t like,” Armin chuckled.

Eren raised his hand in front of Armin. “Say no more.”

“Actually,” Erwin started after chuckling. “We have a favor to ask both of you. And you can’t back out of this one. Am I right, Levi?”

Levi’s eye flinched as he looked away.

Eren shot a confused look at Levi before looking back at Erwin. “But wh-”

“Not. Another. Word.” Levi grumbled.

Erwin chuckled as he glanced at Armin. “Anyways, Armin and I know two friends who wanted us to plan a date for them. But we are both quite busy.”

“Shitwin, it’s only the second week of classes.”

“Levi, I got shit to do.”

Levi sighed. He stared at Armin, who shivered at the sight. “I’ll believe you though.”

“Good to know,” Armin said as he sheepishly smiled. 

“Planning a date?” Eren gleed, his hands holding each other as he smiled brightly. “That sounds so fun! I’ll do it, with or without Levi!”

“Levi’s doing it. I have some stuff against him,” Erwin smirked as Levi sighed, pinching the area between his eyes.

Eren was about to open his mouth when Armin placed a gentle hand on his arm, shaking his head. Levi eyed the blond’s movement carefully before he bumped into Eren. Eren lost his balance, about to land on the ground when Levi immediately grabbed Eren by the waist and pulled him up.

“Whooo, thanks, Levi,” Eren laughed. “That could’ve been bad.”

“Not a problem,” Levi said coolly. 

“So we can count on you two?” Erwin asked.

“Yes!” Eren smiled. Erwin chuckled at the enthusiasm before turning to Armin. 

“Alright, I guess we’re done here. I’ll text you guys the details. Armin, would you like to grab lunch? I’m done with everything for the day.”

“Are you okay if we head to my grandfather’s? I wanna drop by and say hi,” Armin said, looking at Erwin with his bright blue eyes.

“Not a problem with me. If you would excuse us, gentlemen. And don’t get too possessive, Levi,” Erwin teased as he eyed the arm still wrapped around Eren’s waist.

Levi immediately pulled back his arm. If anyone saw his arm wrapped around someone who seemed like a student, it would cause a lot of trouble. He did not want to deal with that, nor did he want to involve Eren in the situation.

Erwin and Armin waved as they left the library while Eren and Levi watched them head out. 

“Levi,” Eren asked. “Let’s follow them.”

“What,” Levi stated. 

“I want a cinnamon roll,” Eren said as he walked out of the library. Levi stood in place for a few moments before sighing and following the brunet. 

Half an hour later, Eren and Levi sat at a table next to the window, a few tables away from Erwin and Armin. Eren had one and a half cinnamon rolls on his plate while Levi was biting into a croissant. On their table was a steaming mug of hot chocolate and another mug with a green tea blend. 

“To be frank, it’s stupid that they won’t tell us who the date is for,” Eren said as he tilted his head at the blond duo. “Maybe it’s for them.”

Eren swore that he saw Levi’s eyes shine mischievously.

“If it’s for them…”

“You’re scaring me,” Eren said as he watched Levi’s face turn dark, a dangerous smirk appearing on his lips.

“I’ll make sure that everything screams ‘Levi’ so that Erwin cannot escape from me.”

“Um…”

“Don’t worry. We’ll still make it a cute date and such. But I want Erwin to suffer just a bit,” Levi said, chuckling as he brought his mug up to his face.

“We don’t even know if it’s for them,” Eren pointed out. 

Levi shrugged. “Go ask them.”

Eren stood up and walked over to Erwin and Armin. Levi watched as Erwin explained something to Eren while Eren took a bite out of Armin’s sandwich. He saw Armin punch Eren’s arm, causing Eren to laugh while rubbing his bicep. 

The brunet finally walked back, taking his seat as he gleamed brightly at Levi.

“It’s totally for them. I have no doubts.”

Levi smirked. “Interesting.”

Armin walked over to their table, nodded at Levi, turned to Eren, and kept eye contact with him as he grabbed Eren’s cinnamon roll and took a giant bite of it. Maintaining a straight face, he gently placed the cinnamon roll back on the plate and walked over to his own table.

As Eren watched Armin walk back to his table, Levi burst out laughing.

“You look like someone just shitted on you,” Levi laughed, clenching his stomach. Eren immediately dropped his expression to look at Levi, watching the older man laugh. He started laughing along, ignoring the glances that other people around them were giving.

Armin and Erwin watched the interaction a few tables away.

“You know, Levi generally doesn’t show many emotions,” Erwin said as he sipped on his water. “But Eren’s doing something special to him.”

“I feel like Eren changed a bit, too,” Armin replied, staring at his sandwich. “We have a close friend group, so I wouldn’t say that he used to be lonely. But it was almost like a part of him was… empty?”

“I’ll take your word for it. Levi has definitely changed. He’s laughing, even if it is at something unfortunate. Haven’t seen him laugh so hard in so long.”

Two hours later, Eren was out on a jog while Levi worked out at the gym downstairs. He jogged to the lake, where Marco and Jean were sitting on a bench facing away from him. Eren immediately sneaked up behind them before slamming his hands on both their shoulders.

“Fuck!” Jean screamed as Marco jumped. They both turned to see a mischievous Eren smiling at them.

“You fucking stupid ass,” Jean grumbled. 

“A simple ‘hi’ would’ve sufficed,” Marco said as he rubbed his shoulder. “That hurt.”

“Sorry,” Eren said. “What’s happening?”

“I was enjoying the lovely view of the lake and Marco before you came,” Jean sneered. 

“Whoops,” Eren replied nonchalantly as he moved to the front of the bench before sitting down on the grass.

“What’s been happening with you?” asked Marco.

Eren laid down as he talked about him attending Levi’s classes once a week.

“Wait,” Jean interrupted. “Kind of random, but has Mikasa met Levi yet?”

Silence followed for a bit before Eren groaned. 

“No, but she’s going to interrogate Levi to no end if they do meet.”

“He hasn’t met the whole gang yet anyway, right?” Marco asked.

Eren thought about it. “I think he hasn’t met Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie.”

“And Mikasa.” Marco pointed out.

“And Mikasa,” Eren reiterated. “Annie and Mikasa are busy all the time with their dojo. And I guess Reiner and Bert are just doing their own thing.”

“We should totally do a get-together,” Jean said as he placed his arm around Marco. “I don’t remember the last time we all met up. And you should bring Levi. Maybe let him invite some of his pals too.”

“If I can convince him,” Eren said as he stared at the clouds. “I’ll have to check with him. He’s going to be bombarded with questions by Reiner. And if Reiner’s doing it, Ymir’s going to join in on the fun. With that, Mikasa will find it appropriate to start asking Levi weird-ass questions too. Not sure if I’m ready for that.”

“He’s living with you. He’s already like an honorary member,” Marco pointed out. “Even if some of us haven’t met him yet.”

“I talked to Mikasa the other day,” Eren said. “She started asking questions about Levi, like how often he does his laundry and if he has any problems with knives. Who even asks those questions?”

“Mikasa. Definitely Mikasa,” Jean said. 

“I’ll deal with everyone meeting another day,” Eren sighed. “I got bigger problems to deal with.”

“Like how you probably haven’t asked Levi to the Gala yet?” Marco asked.

Eren got up and rubbed his neck. “Maybe. I don’t do well with this romance. You guys know that.”

Jean snorted. “When was the last time you were in a relationship?”

“Probably since college. Who was that girl, Mina?” Marco wondered.

“Yeah, I guess I got too busy with grad school and then just didn’t bother to seek out someone romantically,” Eren reasoned. 

“It’s been literal years,” Jean teased.

“It’s been literal years since I smacked you with a butter sock. Care to recreate that moment?”

Marco started laughing as Jean rolled his eyes and groaned. 

“Mate, you gotta chill. I have no idea what got you to freeze a stick of butter and then shove it in a giant sock and smack me with it. That shit hurt.”

“It was so funny,” Marco recalled. 

Eren smiled at the memory.

“But we are digressing from the point,” Jean said. “Eren, when are you gonna grow some balls and ask Levi?”

Eren dropped his smile.

“I have no idea. I just know I want to take my time with everything.”

“Be careful, Eren,” Marco sighed. “Don’t take too long.”

Eren got up and wiped his shorts, removing any lingering grass on him. He turned to the couple and smiled.

“I’ll think more about it. But thanks for your support, guys. It may not seem like it, but I’m glad you guys ship Levi and I.”

“How can we not? I swear Levi has the hots for you and you’re just afraid of messing up. Don’t be afraid, bro,” Jean assured. 

“We’re here if you need anything.”

“I don’t want to be there for Jaegar.”

“I’m here for you.”

“Fuck you,” Eren said to Jean. “But I appreciate it, Marco. I’ll see you guys later!”

As Eren jogged away, Marco leaned against Jean’s shoulder.

“It’s gonna be last minute,” Jean said. 

“At this rate,” Marco agreed.

When Eren got back to the apartment, Levi was sitting in the living room shirtless, sipping a cup of tea while petting Captain, who was laying on his lap. The raven-haired man looked over at Eren.

“Welcome home,” he said.

Eren waved before he immediately went to go take a shower. When he finished, he stood in his room, just then realizing that Levi was shirtless in the living room.

_Should I also be shirtless? Would Levi mind? Would it be too obvious?_

After many, many minutes contemplating what he should wear while standing naked in front of his closet, Eren decided to grab some boxers and a pair of pajama pants to wear. He put them on and left his room to sit next to Levi, who was waiting with a second mug of tea. Levi handed the mug to Eren as they both sat down on the couch, staring at whatever.

Eren stared at the TV, watching Levi sip his tea through the reflection. Captain had proceeded to stretch his body across both gentlemen. Eren did not pay attention to the cat, but instead carefully stared at the muscles that Levi had displayed. The pecs, the abs, Eren loved it all.

“I’m thinking about buying another TV,” Eren said, trying to snap out of it. He needed to control himself.

Levi turned to Eren. “What’s wrong with this one?”

“Nothing, but imagine watching TV in bed,” Eren said. 

“You don’t like watching TV on the couch with me?” Levi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Eren placed his mug down while shaking his head, turning his body to Levi and disrupting Captain’s position. “It’s not that! You can definitely join me in bed! I just like the bed.”

Levi stared at Eren with wide eyes as Eren quickly processed what he said. He groaned and waved his hands.

“Not that way, I mean, like, watching TV. And then being comfy and stuff…” He screamed in frustration as he plopped against the couch, melting into the seat while also wanting to slowly melt out of existence.

“We could try to make the couch comfier, or invest in a new one,” Levi suggested calmly. “I feel like having a TV in your bedroom would ruin the aesthetic.”

Eren thought about what Levi said. The problem with the couch wasn’t that it wasn’t comfy, but it was too small for both people to nap on comfortably. Levi was also right about the TV not matching the aesthetic of his room. He wanted his room to be relaxing and not have technology prohibit the true relaxation he needed. But he didn’t want to straight out buy a new couch either. He was quite fond of the current one he had. It was where they napped together for the first time...

“You’re right about the TV in my bedroom,” Eren finally said. “But I also don’t want to give up this couch. It was a gift from Mikasa and I think it’s comfy.”

“I wish it were a recliner couch.”

Eren was about to agree until he remembered something he should’ve remembered a long time ago.

“...”

“Brat.”

“I may have forgotten that it is a recliner couc- don’t hit me with that pillow! The handle was always covered by the little side table!” Eren said as he raised his arms to defend himself against Levi hitting him.

“Fuck this shit, I’m using the recliner right now,” Levi grumbled as he looked at the side of the couch to see the button. He pressed it, only for the extension of the couch to be blocked by the coffee table, indicated by the loud bang.

“I hate everything,” Levi stated as he got up and pushed the coffee table forward to give room to the couch. 

He went back to the couch and extended his body against the reclining couch, hands behind his head as he relaxed.

“I guess we don’t need to do anything new?” Eren hesitantly said.

“You’re truly a fucking dumbass.”

“Hey, you live with this dumbass.”

“Sounds like I have to try to not get your stupid brain cells to reach me,” Levi teased. Eren shoved the other man playfully as he finished his mug. 

“So this date we have to plan…”

“I will embarrass the fuck out of Erwin.”

“What?”

“Listen, brat,” Levi started. “This is the perfect opportunity to fuck with Erwin. And I’m going to take it. And it can be a little hint to that blond coconut friend of yours that if he’s going to be with Erwin, then he will also have to deal with me.”

“You already live with me, so Armin kind of already deals with you.”

“You act like I did something bad.”

And Eren really couldn’t think of anything that Levi did bad. Levi had been the ideal housemate. He was clean, responsible, and hot.

Jean’s face appeared in his mind, telling him to hurry up and ask Levi to the Gala. Eren shuddered, thinking about the fact that he really thought about Jean’s face. He will take some other time to really think about asking Levi.

“The date is going to be on Sunday, so we have roughly a day to figure everything out. Fuck, why did Erwin think it was a brilliant idea to have us plan this stupid date? I swear, he just wants to fuck with me,” Levi complained.

“I feel that,” Eren said. “Not going to lie, it’s kind of suspicious. Armin knows I’m bad at being romantic. But I couldn't resist the idea of planning a date. It sounds so fun!”

"Like the one you planned when we got our ears pierced?" Levi teased.

"Hey!" Eren said. "Don't make fun of me."

Levi chuckled. "I think you have a knack for planning dates. That one was pleasant for me."

Eren blushed but smiled widely. "Thanks. But I still don't know why we are planning a date."

“You put the smartest people you know together and they give you a shitfest,” Levi moved on. “Something is going to happen. Ah, it’s whatever. We can try to add a sprinkle of romance in there. Like flowers and stuff.”

“Flowers die though. I was thinking more along the lines of a chicken nugget bouquet.”

Levi stared at Eren, not believing what he heard.

“Come again?”

“Okay, I know it’s weird,” Eren said. “But hear me out. I saw this video of a chicken nugget bouquet tutorial and the girl receiving it loved it so much. It’s great. Not wasteful and fun.”

“This is for Erwin and Armin, not yo- Actually. Let’s keep the chicken nugget bouquet. I have absolutely nothing to lose,” Levi said as he smirked and crossed his arms. 

Eren scratched his head. “You’re being oddly passionate about this.”

“Only when it comes to fucking around with Eyebrows. By the way, I ordered a cake for them while you were in the shower.”

“What kind of cake?”

“Strawberry.”

“That’s very nice of you.”

“I’m a fucking angel.”

“What did you do to the cake?”

Levi gasped with a straight face, disturbing Eren only slightly. “How dare you accuse me of such sabotage?”

Eren rolled his eyes. “Can we do something simple? I don’t want to go all out, and I’m sure Armin would appreciate that.”

“You can deal with all the simple stuff. I’ll add my own twist to them. It still doesn’t make sense to me that Erwin would ask us. Honestly, I just think he’s trying to fuck with us. I’ll fuck with him back. Fuck Eyebrows. How do you feel about getting sushi tonight? Better yet, let’s make a reservation at a sushi restaurant for the date. Little secret? Erwin can’t use chopsticks.”

Eren gasped, covering his mouth for a brief moment before lowering them on his lap. “He can’t? The man who is so smart, so superior, so bold, cannot use chopsticks?”

“Well,” Levi said. “He’s just really, really bad at using them.”

“Dude, Armin loves sushi. His dream is to go to the ocean and eat sushi there. I’m thinking that it’s a weird fantasy for him to assert his dominance or something. Eating fish at their home, you know?”

Levi and Eren spent the rest of the day planning out the date. They ordered pizza for dinner and eventually had their nighttime tea on the couch reclined.

“I’m bad at romance,” Eren said. “So I’m hoping that my little romantic additions will be nice to them.”

Levi shrugged. “Give yourself some credit. I thought they were cute.”

Eren blushed again, looking down at his mug. “Thanks.”

“And they’re not disgustingly sappy. Suits your personality.”

“You think I’m cute and not disgustingly sappy?” Eren asked, before smacking himself internally, not believing that he actually said all that out loud to Levi.

Levi widened his eyes as he drank out of his tea. He brought the mug down to his lap.

“I mean, I can’t say you’re ugly.”

Levi barely heard the word “yay” come out of Eren’s mouth, and he looked over to see the brunet’s face turning red. He chuckled to himself at the cute moment.

_Brat’s making me sappy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My [tumblr](https://senpaiactually.tumblr.com/) if anyone wants to reach out :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's November, which means December is coming up, which means SEASON FOUR OF ATTACK ON TITAN.  
> I'm ready to be sad. Isayama is going to wreck me.

“Levi… he’s doing the thing.”

“What thing?”

“The kneeling dough thing. Look!”

Levi looked up from his laptop to see Eren on the couch sitting next to Captain, who was pressing his paws against a pillow repeatedly. The man next to the black cat watched in awe as Captain minded his own business, staring down at the pillow.

They both stared at the cat for roughly five minutes, not a single word uttered. The sun was still shining brightly, and the rays would’ve hit Captain if Eren weren’t blocking them. As if he was aware of the sun’s need to shine against the cat, Eren slowly stood up and moved to the other side of the couch. He sat on the floor and took out his phone to take several shots of Captain in the sun before settling for a video.

“Levi, come over here and look,” Eren loudly whispered, keeping his eyes on his phone screen as he recorded Captain.

Levi closed his laptop before making his way behind Eren slowly. He crouched down and together, they both watched Captain kneel the pillow. Levi leaned forward so that if he wanted to, he could rest his head on Eren's shoulder. He kind of did but didn't want to make Eren uncomfortable. 

“We’ve had him for some time,” Eren said. “But this is the first time I’ve seen the cat thing in real life.”

Levi hummed in agreement, fascinated by the delicacy of Captain’s paws. The same paws that scratched Levi when he was getting bathed were the same paws gently massaging the pillow. He must admit, the cat looked majestic with the sun shining in the background. 

Captain suddenly stopped and averted his gaze from the pillow to his owners. Levi heard Eren gasp a little bit. The cat glanced between Eren and Levi before deciding to hop off the couch and move to the balcony door, laying down and closing his eyes. Eren stopped the video and sat down on the couch. He checked the time on his phone.

“We have roughly 2 hours before everything is ready,” Eren called out. Levi got up and walked back to the dining table, opening up his laptop.

“Good. That gives me plenty of time to respond to all of these fucking emails,” grumbled Levi as he started typing.

Eren laid across the couch, facing Levi as he decided to scroll through social media to look at food videos. He occasionally glanced at the man from time to time, admiring how good Levi looked with his frames as he worked. Levi was one of those people who sat straight, never crouching down. He had one of the best postures Eren had ever seen. Eren snickered to himself as he concluded why that was the case. Levi looked at Eren and raised an eyebrow before Eren waved him off. He shrugged and resumed working.

After thirty minutes, Eren placed his phone down on his stomach.

“I’m bored,” he called out.

“Hi bored, I’m Levi.”

“Can you entertain me please?”

“What are you, five?”

“When are you done with your work for the day?” Eren asked, not answering Levi's question. 

“Give me ten minutes,” Levi said. “And then I’ll play with you, you needy brat.”

Eren beamed as he got off the couch and moved to where Levi was working. He took the seat next to Levi and rested his head on the table, facing Levi to get a better glimpse of Levi’s face.

Jean’s face appeared in his head again, mocking him about not having the balls to ask the man to the gala. Eren cringed before Marco’s face appeared over Jean, telling him to take his time but then quickly followed up with how he needed to grow a pair. And then Jean’s face appeared again and Eren swatted the air.

“Are you okay?” Levi asked, looking at the brunet.

Eren placed his hand down. “Yeah, just getting rid of the bad thoughts. I was randomly thinking about Jean’s face.”

“I’m not going to question it.”

Levi resumed working as Eren studied the features on his face. Pointed nose, perfect hair that perfectly frames his face, clear skin, sharp features. And his eyes. His eyes were grey but sometimes appeared bluer either in the sunlight or whenever Levi was in a good mood. Eren absolutely loved Levi’s eyes. 

“I would ask you to take a picture cause it lasts longer, but photos don’t do me justice,” spoke Levi.

“Can’t say I disagree,” Eren smirked as he sat up and stretched out his arms. Levi seemingly choked on air before he murmured something inaudible while furiously typing on his laptop. The tips of his ears were turning red, making Eren high-five himself mentally.

Levi finished his work, closing his laptop as Eren cheered weakly. As soon as they both stood up from the table, Levi immediately tackled Eren to the ground. Eren let out a yelp as they both slam against the hardwood flooring.

“Couldn’t you wait until we were near the couch?” Eren exclaimed, trying to push Levi off.

“Nope.”

After struggling for so long, Eren gave up and let his body flop against the floor. Levi was too strong. He knew it. Levi knew it. The whole world knew it. 

While Eren groaned, Levi chuckled as he got up and crouched down to carry Eren up like a bride.

Eren lifted his head up. “I’m impressed you could do that. Like, immediately from the ground.”

“I work out every other day. You know this.”

“Yeah, but still. I’m more of a runner.”

Levi threw Eren on the couch before he laid right on top of Eren. Eren felt the other’s luscious ass on top of his crotch and his first thought was to flip Levi over and squeeze it. 

“You should work out with me.”

“I like running because I can run to safety.”

“Or you should beat the living shit out of someone and not have to worry about hiding. Seriously, we can pump some iron together and I’ll help you get muscle.” Levi paused for a moment before hitting his forehead. “I’m not saying you’re weak or anything. Or that you have a bad body. I j-“

“I’ll join someday,” laughed Eren as he tapped Levi’s thigh. “Now get off me please.”

Levi got up so that Eren could sit upright on the couch. He plopped back down next to the brunet, placing his feet on the coffee table. 

“Do you think I’m fat?” Levi grumbled as he did so.

Eren dropped his mouth. “No, it’s not like that! Have you seen yourself? You have the body of a God!”

Realizing what he said, Eren was about to sputter out something to defend his comment before Levi replied.

“Like Athena? Last I checked, I didn’t have titties.”

Eren groaned as he grabbed a pillow and smacked Levi with it.

They continued to just talk about various topics, but mainly Eren talking while Levi gave a few comments here and there before it was time for them to head to the sushi restaurant. The plan was to spy the couple at a nearby table to see if it was actually Armin and Erwin. Eren didn’t feel like walking, so they decided to take Levi’s car to the restaurant.

“Black is such a sexy color for a car,” Eren practically moaned as he sat inside Levi’s Tesla Model S, patting the black leather seats. “I can’t believe you actually have a Tesla. But what about road trips? Seems kind of difficult when electric cars take time to charge and everything. And the charging stations aren’t common.”

Eren had only seen Levi’s car once, never stepping inside until that moment. Levi generally liked to walk around the town or Eren would drive, for he loved driving. But to actually sit in the luxury that was a Tesla...

“Someone else drives,” Levi said before patting the steering wheel. “Don’t want to ruin my baby too much. This is my pride and joy.”

Levi started moving his car out of the parking slot, and Eren almost started salivating. The sight of Levi putting on his Ray Bans sunglasses before leaving the garage was immaculate. He grabbed the sunglasses from the compartment and used his mouth to open the frames. Eren could feel his heart beat loudly as he tried to not gawk at the man. To make things worse, Levi had on a grey dress shirt with a few buttons on the top undone with black slacks. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing his forearms. It was one of Eren’s favorite looks on him, even though Eren had never complained about any look on Levi before. He always looked good.

Levi sped through the roads, one hand on the steering wheel when Eren finally gathered the courage to say something.

“Do you know how to drive a stick?”

“Yes.”

Eren internally groaned. The man knew how to do everything.

While Levi talked about how he would teach Eren one day, they arrived at the sushi bar. It was one of the classier restaurant-and-bar in town. Eren looked down at his own attire: a white dress shirt with black slacks. It was still nice, but not as nice as Levi.

“You look good, relax,” commented Levi before he lowered his glasses, looking at Eren before he turned around to back into a parking spot. Eren watched as the man placed his hand on Eren’s seat as he swiftly backed up, moving the steering wheel with his palm. As he turned to look at the back, Eren saw the small earring sparkle on Levi’s left ear. It was the cherry on top. Even a simple view of Levi backing into a parking spot was arousing for Eren.

When he turned off the car, Levi took off his sunglasses and placed them back in their compartment. He unbuckled his seatbelt and looked over at Eren. 

“You okay? Is it too hot in here?” Levi asked, a trace of concern in his voice.

Eren shook his head. “N-no. We’re good. Let’s go in.” 

He quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and left the car, fanning himself slightly before turning around to see Levi suddenly next to him. He looked closely at the brunet.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Eren rolled his eyes. “I’m fine. No worries. Let’s go inside.”

“Whatever you say,” Levi said as they walked to the entrance. Eren opened the door and stepped to the side to let Levi in first. He nodded at Eren before a family of four arrived and thanked Eren. However, another family came through and Eren was stuck holding the door for a while. When he was about to shut the door, he saw a couple walking up. Not knowing if he should close the door or wait for them, he did nothing. 

“Here,” a guy said as he grabbed the handle of the door. “You can go in. I saw you standing out here for quite a bit.”

Eren thanked the man before he walked inside to stand next to Levi, who shook his head, amused.

“Such a gentleman,” Levi teased.

“Shut it. I didn’t want to be rude,” Eren replied.

“Welcome! Do you guys have reservations?” greeted the hostess, a young cheerily blond woman. 

Levi walked up to the hostess. “Yeah, under Ackerman.”

“Oh, Mr. Ackerman! You guys will be sitting at the bar tonight. Front row seat!” the hostess said gleefully.

Eren immediately was next to Levi. “What? We made a bar reservation for our friends, not us. They have a date. It’s under the name ‘Jaeger.’ Ackerman was for a booth with a good view of the bar. Was there some kind of mistake?”

The hostess giggled. “Well, someone came in and told me to make sure you guys sit at the bar. For some reason, the original couple couldn’t make it so they wanted to give you the reservation.”

“So you’re telling me that we basically arranged our own dinner? The couple that was supposed to be under the name Jaeger can’t make it?” Levi asked.

“Well, I guess? The reservation is for you. I’d take it if I were you. It’s always a good experience watching the chef up close,” the hostess replied.

Levi and Eren looked at each other before Eren shrugged. “Okay, we’ll take it.”

“Follow me!”

As the hostess led them to the bar, Levi checked his phone. 

**[~Captain Eyebrows~]**

_I completely forgot to mention this to you, but our friends couldn’t make it tonight! So I decided to be the best person ever and let you have the reservation!_

**[Levi Ackerman]**

_F u_

“Erwin said they bailed and I think that’s sketch.”

“Why do you have squiggles next to his name?” Eren asked as he peered at Levi’s screen.

“They represent his eyebrows.”

“Wow. That's kind of funny actually. But anyway, it’s fine,” Eren said as they sat down at the bar. He smiled at the hostess before she left. “I’m not too bothered. I’m sure it’ll be an experience.”

“You realized we planned this as a date? And I added my own twist to it?”

Eren’s face slightly paled. “Oh. Okay, but for the most part, it was fairly fine. No huge twists, despite how long we planned for it.”

“Welcome! I hope you both are doing well. May I interest you in a drink?”

The duo greeted the chef, who was in the typical white chef coat and wore a bandana on his head. 

Levi shook his head at the chef. “I’m driving.”

“I think I’m good too. Water will do,” smiled Eren.

The chef nodded and proceeded to explain how the process worked. They had two options: choose from the menu or omakase, which is where one lets the chef choose for them. Eren wanted to do the omakase, despite the fact that he would not know the bill until the dinner was completed, and Levi agreed with no hesitation. They were given the opportunity to indulge, and indulge they shall.

“Ah, but to get started, let me make you a very special dish,” the chef winked at the gentlemen. “You fellows must be the special duo.”

Eren groaned. “Is it what I think it is?”

Levi held back laughter as he watched the chef assemble some delicious looking fish on a plate. He couldn’t hold back a chuckle as the chef placed the finished plate in the middle of Eren and Levi.

“Here is your first dish,” the chef snickered. “I’ll be preparing your next round.”

Levi took out his phone to take a picture of the penis-shaped sushi. Eren simply sighed, waiting for Levi to finish taking his photos before he grabbed a pair of chopsticks and picked up a piece of salmon. He held up his fish for Levi to tap his own fish with. When they did so, Eren immediately placed it in his mouth

His eyes widened as the salmon melted in his mouth. After watching Eren take his bite, Levi followed suit. The fatty taste of the salmon made Levi salivate so much, for it was the best salmon he had ever had in his life. In silence, they finished the first plate. The chef took away the empty plate before placing a plate of albacore white tuna in front of them. The tuna was arranged in a circle with a sweet glaze over it. 

“I’m about to have a mouthgasm,” Eren nonchalantly said before grabbing a piece of tuna. 

Dish after dish was a luxury for the duo. Baby tuna. Bluefish tuna. Yellowtail. Some of the dishes came with several slices of fish, and some with only one per person. Some were served as sashimi (only the fish), such as the different kinds of tuna, while others were served as nigiri (fish on rice). The chef kept building up flavors, no fish overpowering the other but instead working together for the ultimate experience. 

Every dish had also successfully made Eren have a food orgasm. 

He felt like he was living in a dream, eating fine dining with Levi in nice attire. The other man brightened up at every dish given to them. 

The chef would give a brief description of the fishes as he served them. Some were from Spain, while others were from Japan. It made the experience feel special. The chef even served a singular mushroom, and it made Eren feel all happy. He got to try ingredients he never had before, such as sea urchin.

Levi and Eren were relatively quiet during the meal, placing most of their attention on the delicious food. Occasionally, Eren would take a few sneak peeks of Levi, and Levi would glance over whenever Eren placed a piece of fish in his mouth. Sometimes they’d make eye contact before smiling at each other. Once, Eren even winked at Levi. Levi winked back before the chef placed another plate in front of them. The chef couldn’t help but wink at them both when he noticed the red ears.

“How was the experience, gentlemen?” the chef asked as he took away their plates. 

“Delectable,” Levi answered. “Thank you so much.”

“I second that,” Eren followed up. “It was amazing.”

“Thank you for your time! Now please stay put, for there are a few things that you still need to try.” The chef went to the back as Eren jumped in his seat.

“It’s happening, it’s happening,” Eren chanted.

“You do realize that this wasn’t initially for us?” Levi asked.

“Okay, yeah, but it is now!” Eren said. He cheered when the chef came back holding a red vase. Inside the red vase were a bunch of sticks decorated with fresh chicken nuggets.

“Here you go,” The chef said, reaching over the ingredients to place the vase down. Eren immediately took out his phone and started taking photos of the chicken nugget bouquet.

“Thank you!” Eren grinned as he grabbed a stick and started eating the nuggets off of it. Levi watched Eren, who flipped the stick over to offer a bite. He eyed the nugget before leaning over and taking a bite, sitting back down.

“It’s crispy,” Levi commented after he finished. 

“Right?”

There were 25 chicken nuggets in the bouquet. It was a small bouquet, but perhaps the best bouquet Eren had ever received, even if it was from himself. They finished the bouquet before the chef smiled at them.

“Gentlemen, we have the finale.”

“This. This is what I thought would give me plenty of joy, but will probably be a pain in the ass to look at,” Levi groaned. 

The chef went to the back while Eren glanced over at Levi.

“I thought it was a strawberry cake.”

“Well…”

“Gentlemen,” the chef announced as he placed the cake down in front of the duo.

“Oh, my God.”

“Yup.”

The cake was a mini strawberry cake, decorated with white icing. There was a white border on the bottom with fresh strawberries at the top. But the icing on the cake had a picture of Levi holding up the middle finger, with the words “Fuck You” in red icing.

“Enjoy, gentlemen. I’ll be handing you the check now, but no rush,” the chef said as he handed the black check.

Levi and Eren both grabbed the check as the chef let go of it. They stared at each other.

“I’ll get the check,” Levi said.

“You drove here. I’ll get the check.”

“Who paid for dinner last time?”

“You did. So let me pay and then you can pay for the next few meals.”

“Fine.” Levi let go of the check and Eren took out his wallet, placing his card in before handing it back to the chef. He then grabbed the fork that came with the cake and dug in, looking at Levi as he savored the bite.

“Good choice,” Eren said. Levi grabbed the other fork and grabbed a piece, eyebrows raised in amusement. 

“I really did pick a good one,” Levi said. “Minus the image.”

“The image is kind of ridiculous,” Eren said.

“I thought Erwin was going to see it.”

They finished the mini cake, stomachs full as Eren was given back his card and the receipt. He left a generous tip for the chef and they said their farewells as they walked out of the restaurant.

“We gotta go there again. But not any time soon. That was fairly expensive. But so good,” Eren said as he patted his stomach.

“It’ll be a once in a while thing,” Levi said, opening the door for Eren. Following Eren was a couple, and then a family, and then another family. Levi finally was able to close the door and they both made their way to his car.

“Do you want to drink some tea when we get back?” Eren asked as he stepped in the car.

“Of course. It's one of my favorite pastimes.”

Meanwhile, sitting at the booth were two blond gentlemen, who had a perfect view of the bar.

“I cannot believe he ordered a cake like that,” the taller blond commented.

“I can believe the chicken bouquet though,” the other said.

The taller blond chuckled as he took his time trying to pick up a slice of salmon between his chopsticks. It managed to stay between the sticks for a few seconds before it dropped on the plate.

“So close!” clapped the smaller blond.

“Yet so far,” the other sighed as he placed the chopsticks down and grabbed a fork, earning a disappointed look from the smaller blond.

At the apartment, Levi hopped in the shower first while Eren petted Captain and gave him his dinner. Levi picked the tea while Eren was in the shower. When Eren got out of the shower, Captain leaped on him, causing him to almost lose grip of his towel that was wrapped around his waist. 

He fixed the towel and walked over to the kitchen, standing next to Levi who was preparing two mugs of tea.

“Any preferences?” asked Levi, who was looking at the tea collection.

“Lavender,” Eren replied, cradling Captain in his arms. Captain stared at Levi, who picked out the container of leaves for the tea. After he finished preparing the tea, he grabbed both mugs and was about to head to the living room when he paused, looking at a half-naked Eren. He stared at the towel before slowly moving up to Eren, who was cooing at Captain as he tapped Captain’s nose. 

Eren never noticed Levi and turned around to walk to the couch, but suddenly, a swift was heard and a light thud against the floor perked Levi's attention. The brunet squeaked as he looked on the floor, a new breeze passing his body as he eyed the towel on the floor. Eren dropped Captain and all Levi could do was stare at Eren’s luscious ass. 

The brunet scrambled to grab his towel and run to his room, not even bothering to cover himself while he shouted an apology to Levi. Meanwhile, Levi stayed frozen for a bit before blinking a few times as Captain rubbed himself against Levi’s leg before looking up at the man. He almost dropped the two mugs in his hands at the sight, but thankfully didn't. 

“Fuck,” Levi said, trying to forget the sight of Eren’s ass, but then he realized that he didn’t want to. But at the moment, he had to temporarily do so to prevent a boner from popping up.

He walked over to the couch and placed the mugs on the coffee table before taking the burgundy throw blanket and placing it over himself. Levi was wearing pajama pants, which wouldn’t be able to hide his boner should it choose to present himself, so the blanket should cover it when the time comes. He started thinking thoughts that would kill his boner, like Hanji when she barely showered in college.

Eren meanwhile was lying flat on his bed, face shoved against a pillow. He had just exposed his naked body to Levi! It was only the back, yes, but it was still embarrassing. His ass wasn’t that flat, but maybe it wouldn’t be up to Levi’s standards. The horror.

He couldn’t hide in his room forever, so he got up and put on a white t-shirt with red pajama bottoms. Taking a deep breath, he left his room and sat down next to Levi, who saw him before slightly jumping and handing him his mug.

“Sorry about that, Levi,” Eren nervously said. 

Levi shook his head. “Don’t worry, it happens. Seriously. It’s not like your ass was ugly too.”

Eren and Levi both widened their eyes before looking away from each other.

“Uh, I mean, like, don’t worry,” Levi said, struggling to speak.

“I-I - okay.”

“Okay.”

“Uh, thanks for saying my ass is nice.”

“Yeah, of course.”

"I think your ass is nice, too," blurted out Eren before he covered his mouth. Levi looked at the other, his cheeks starting to feel warm.

"T-thank you," stammered Levi.

Eren paused for a bit before he laughed. Levi couldn't help but let out a chuckle. 

“Do you just want to casually watch Iron Chef? Like, the original one. From Japan,” Eren said, trying to change subjects.

“Sure,” Levi said. 

The atmosphere was slightly awkward beforehand, both of their minds occupied with the fact that Eren had accidentally shown his butt to Levi. Eren was still embarrassed, but the situation was so awkward it made him laugh. Levi was slightly turned on but didn't want to make things even more awkward.

Eventually, Levi started commenting on the swift cutting of fish performed by one of the chefs, and Eren joined in. The room started to be more lively, with them eventually laughing with each other. Sometime during the night, Eren and Levi had scooted next to each other, their biceps pressed against each other as they shared the blanket. Captain occupied the single recliner, sleeping. 

When it was nearing midnight, Eren leaned a little against Levi’s shoulder, falling asleep. Levi didn’t feel like getting up, mainly because he didn’t want to bother the handsome gentleman.

He stared at the TV for a bit, watching the judges eat one of the chef’s dishes before Eren stirred a bit, slowly wrapping his arms around Levi’s arm.

Levi froze a bit, watching Eren snuggle against his shoulder as he continued to sleep. He felt his ears get warm, almost aching to grab his phone and take a picture. 

But he didn’t, instead, Levi smiled and moved his head a bit down, his lips mere millimeters away before he paused and sighed. He settled for resting his cheek against Eren’s hair.

“I wouldn’t mind you showing your ass to me again,” he murmured as he continued to watch Iron Chef, eventually falling asleep himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all my readers again :) I started this fanfic as a temporary escape from all of the bad things happening, creating a light, calm, and romantic story. Life always has its downsides, but we gotta appreciate the small things. So thank you again, I appreciate your kind support!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I can't believe I'm so close to 300 kudos! Thank you all for your support, and I'm so happy you guys are enjoying the story :) Without further ado, here is the next chapter!

“Hello, my precious Eren,” Hanji greeted as one of Eren’s patients walked out of Eren’s office. She closed the door behind her and stretched her arms, looking at the ceiling to be greeted with a photo of her that Eren had yet to discover.

“Hello,” Eren replied as he typed some final notes on his laptop before closing it. He crossed his legs and placed his forearms on his desk with his hands together.

“How can I help you?”

Hanji snorted as she sauntered to the couch before plopping on it. “You mean, how can I help you?”

Eren furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”

She immediately jumped up and slammed her hands against Eren’s desk, causing Eren to flinch. Hanji leaned across the desk, on her toes as she grinned at Eren, who slowly backed his chair away.

“The Gala.”

“What about it?”

“Are you bringing a date?” Her eyes shimmered at the brunet, who sighed as he crossed his arms and looked away.

“That’s the plan.”

Hanji ran to the other side of the desk, grabbed Eren’s shoulders, and shook him.

“When? Who? And why? How?” Hanji rambled before Eren slightly pushed her away, running his hand through his hair. 

“That is what we called classified,” Eren replied. “Is this really what you needed to talk to me about?”

“Of course! And I came to tell you to check your email. I sent over the documents,” Hanji said before staying still and evaluating Eren’s demeanor.

Eren’s hair was slightly shuffled from running his hand through his hair several times. His navy blue collared shirt was crinkled and the sleeves were sloppily rolled up. He started to pop off a few buttons and loosened his grey tie.

Hanji checked her watch. “Did you eat lunch yet?”

“No,” Eren grumbled. “I’m not done with my appointments and all of these documents, starting from the moment I stepped in the office, started filling up my inbox so I’ve been going through them. One patient needs to change her medication and another wants to completely stop.”

“Don’t overwork yourself,” sighed Hanji. “You’re a hard worker, but even you have limits. Did you bring lunch?”

“I forgot it,” groaned Eren as he opened up his laptop to check his email, seeing Hanji’s name on the screen.

“I’ll bring you something. You can eat it while working, but just make sure you actually eat,” Hanji spoke.

“Don’t worry about it,” Eren said, a weary smile on his face as he looked at Hanji. 

Hanji shot a concerned look over. “I’m going to worry, Eren. You’re not only my employee but also my friend. I’ll get you something, so just continue to work. Did you sleep okay last night?”

Eren’s weary smiled turned dreamy as he remembered waking up in the middle of the night with Levi asleep against him. “I did. Today is just overwhelming, that’s it.”

“Okay,” Hanji smiled gently, contrasting her normal erratic behavior. “I’ll be back with some food.”

Eren waved as she walked out of his office before pulling out her phone.

**[Hanji Zoe]**

_Shortstack. Just checked in w Eren and he honestly looks like shit._

**[Levi Ackerman]**

_I will murder you._

**[Levi Ackerman]**

_How bad?_

**[Hanji Zoe]**

_He just looks exhausted. I don’t blame him. His patients are changing their plans and he has a lot of paperwork to do today._

Levi didn’t reply after that and Hanji put her phone away, knowing that he got the message she was trying to send.

Eren barely made it to the apartment before he closed the front door and sat against it. He leaned his head back and took a deep breath. Today was rough and he just wanted to do nothing. But he knew that he had to open his laptop again soon. The rest of the week was going to be busy, so he should work ahead as much as he could.

Levi entered the room before looking at the slumped Eren, being stared at by Captain. 

“Tea?” Levi asked.

Eren nodded.

Levi walked over to the man and grabbed his bag to bring it next to the couch. He then walked back and lifted Eren off the ground.

“I can walk,” Eren complained. 

“You look like shit,” Levi remarked as he gently placed Eren on the couch. 

“Thank you,” Eren plainly said as he closed his eyes. “I’m going to take a quick nap. Wake me up in 30 minutes.”

“45.”

“30.”

“Take it or else,” threatened Levi.

“Fine.”

Eren turned and crossed his arms as he immediately fell asleep. Levi pressed his hand against Eren’s forehead. He didn’t feel warm, so Levi assumed it was just fatigue. He was glad that Eren wasn’t stupid enough to not rest for a bit.

Grabbing a blanket, Levi gently placed it on Eren before he went to the kitchen to look inside the fridge. There were plenty of ingredients Levi could use, but he really couldn’t think of anything to cook. His eyes laid on his block of cheese.

When 45 minutes passed, Levi slightly nudged Eren to wake up before heading back to the kitchen. Eren groggily woke up, upset that he had to be up and working until he spotted on the coffee table a mug assumingly full of tea and a plate with sliced cheese and crackers. He glanced over at the man in the kitchen, chopping some stuff on the cutting board. There was a pot on the stove with steam over it.

Eren couldn’t help but smile as he grabbed a slice of cheese and placed it on a cracker before shoving it in his mouth. He sat up and grabbed the mug, taking a sip before getting up and heading over to stand next to Levi.

“Levi? Cooking?” teased Eren as he eyed Levi slice cherry tomatoes.

“If you have enough time to say shit like that, you should go work,” Levi grumbled. “Dinner is going to be pasta. Now start working, brat.”

“Okay. Thanks for the cheese,” Eren sang as he went back to the living room. He paused when he got to the couch before deciding to take a shower. He wanted to be extra comfortable, showering before putting on a loose black t-shirt and a pair of black gym shorts. All black would be his attire for the night, reflecting how his soul was at the moment.

He opened his laptop and started going through more documents that Hanji sent him not long ago, sipping on the lukewarm tea Levi made for him. After a bit, he decided to give his eyes a break and looked over at Levi. It seemed like Levi already showered and got into more comfortable clothes after coming home from his classes. He wore a loose green t-shirt and black joggers, mixing the pasta in with his tomato sauce.

Eren sniffed the air. “Smells good.”

“It’s almost ready. I’ll bring it over to you,” Levi said. 

Eren smiled as he continued to work, the smell of garlic reaching his nose. He sighed heavily as he made a few notes on a document he was looking at before feeling Levi sitting next to him. The slight thuds from the plates hitting the table perked Eren’s attention as he looked over his laptop screen to see two plates of rather a simple tomato pasta with garlic bread.

“Did you make this garlic bread from scratch?” Eren asked, closing his laptop and placing it near the edge of the table as he grabbed the plate and fork.

“Store-bought,” Levi replied as he looked at Eren, tapping the fork Eren held towards him with his own.

Eren stabbed his penne pasta with his fork before putting it in his mouth and sighed. It tasted very average-like, but the garlic taste was there, just the way he liked it. 

“What made you decide to cook dinner tonight?” Eren asked as he reached out for the bread. “This is fairly decent, by the way.”

“Just felt like it,” shrugged Levi as he took a bite of his pasta. “I feel like I should’ve seasoned this more.”

“Maybe some chili flakes?” Eren suggested. 

“Maybe. How was today?” asked Levi, eyes fully on Eren as he ate.

“Pretty shit,” Eren laughed. “All these changes and all these documents. It just seemed to pile up today, and probably will for the rest of this week.”

“You left your lunch here,” Levi stated.

“Yeah, but Hanji got me a sandwich with some chips,” Eren said. “Quite tasty.”

“That’s good.”

They ate in comfortable silence before Levi spoke.

“You need me to do anything this week? To lessen your stress or whatever?” Levi asked, looking away from Eren and staring at his almost empty plate.

“Honestly, you making dinner was really nice,” Eren smiled.

“Then dinner every night this week, I shall,” Levi replied firmly. 

“You don’t ha-”

“If you finish that sentence, I will put Captain’s litter on your bed.”

“Oop.”

“Yeah, gimme your plate.”

Eren handed the plate to Levi as Levi took all the dishes to the sink. The taller man followed the other around.

“Dessert?” Eren asked, smiling cutely at Levi as he started washing the dishes. Levi glanced at the brunet before rolling his eyes, yet gave a small smile as he scrubbed the plates.

“Check the fridge,” Levi said. Eren nodded as he pranced over to the refrigerator, opening up the fridge as he skimmed its contents. Nothing deemed itself dessert-worthy, so he closed the fridge and opened the freezer, only to be disappointed.

“We have nothing,” sighed Eren as he closed the freezer. He dragged his feet to the couch, plopping on it before pulling his laptop to his lap as he started working.

Levi finished the dishes before sitting down next to Eren with his own laptop. They worked silently for 10 minutes before Levi played some music in the background. Specifically, a Japanese artist named V.K. Captain squeezed himself between the two gentlemen for his little snooze, snuggling his face against Eren’s thigh while resting his tail on Levi’s.

Thirty minutes later, Levi’s phone rang. Eren watched Levi get up, placing his laptop on the coffee table before shoving his hands in his pockets and strolling to the door. A few minutes later, Levi came back.

Levi closed the door as Eren sniffed the air. He recognized the purple box that Levi was carrying to the kitchen counter.

“Are those… cookies?” Eren asked as he watched Levi wash his hands before heading over to the couch with the box.

“Help yourself. Was craving some,” Levi said as he opened the box and placed it on the coffee table. Eren peered over his laptop to see two red velvet cookies, two chocolate chip cookies, and two M&M cookies. He started salivating at the sight.

“Levi, this is amazing,” Eren said, tears building up in his eyes as he grabbed an M&M cookie and bit into it. 

Levi noted the tears threatening to leave Eren’s eyes. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

Eren chuckled, shaking his head. “I just needed this cookie. Today was so rough. Thank you, Levi. You made my day.”

Levi stared at Eren for a brief moment before coughing and looking down at the box of cookies. “It’s really nothing.”

He let Eren have four cookies while Eren worked furiously on his tasks. It was nearing midnight when Levi placed his hand on Eren’s shoulder.

Eren paused to look at Levi questioningly.

“It’s almost midnight. Get some rest.”

“Uh…”

Levi shook his head. “No. Sleep. I will knock you out otherwise and then shake you awake if it comes down to it.”

“But…”

“No buts.”

Eren sighed as he finalized a few things before closing his laptop. He scratched behind Captain’s ear before getting up and putting his laptop in his bag. Levi got up and followed Eren to their respective bedrooms. They both stopped at their doors as Captain walked into Levi’s room.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Levi said, leaning against the door frame.

Eren scratched his head. “Yeah, I appreciate it. This week just seems like it’s going to be a lot.”

Levi stared at Eren, who was mindlessly looking at the ceiling, as he subconsciously started walking towards Eren. He held out his hand and rubbed Eren’s bicep gently.

“Seriously, I’m here if you need anything,” Levi said before he started to head into his room. “Good night, Eren.”

Eren stared at Levi as Levi closed the door. “Good night.”

After a few moments, he went inside his room and flopped on the bed, face against the pillow as he screamed and spazzed. Levi had touched him so carefully, and it made Eren so happy. He felt like a fangirl who had her idol glance in her direction. 

Eren flipped so that he was facing the ceiling, a smile on his face. He wondered if that touch indicated that Levi liked him a little bit more than a friend. 

But then he started thinking about Historia, who would gently place her hand on her friends’ arm to show them her support. His mood slightly went down.

However, he started thinking more about it. About how he knew that Levi didn’t like physical touch. And how often he and Levi fell asleep on the couch together. 

Eren sighed, going under his blanket as he turned towards the window, the moonlight shining through. He wished that he knew what Levi was thinking.

Meanwhile, Levi was sitting on the edge of his bed, petting Captain.

“When did I start becoming so touchy with Eren?” Levi asked Captain. Captain purred into Levi’s touch.

For the rest of the week, Levi tried his best to help Eren out. He made them both lunches (most of them being leftovers from the previous nights) and dinner. When Eren came home on the second day of his hell week, he found a tub of cookies and cream ice cream in the freezer. The next day, Levi had baked three dozens sugar cookies (Eren finished 12 of them in one night, to the disgust of Levi). Levi’s cooking had gotten better too. He started with another pasta dish before advancing to stir fry. Thursday night, he actually baked some salmon with delicious roasted potatoes and gave Eren a long back massage afterward.

Time went by, and suddenly it was Friday. Eren’s hell week was over. When he came home that day, he saw Levi leaning against the counter on his phone. Levi looked up at the gentleman, who suddenly tackled him with a hug, causing him to almost drop his phone.

“Are you okay?” Levi asked, slightly frozen as Eren hugged him.

“Everything is finished,” Eren said as he rested his head on Levi’s shoulder. He felt Levi’s body stop being tense as Levi’s arms snaked their way around Eren’s waist.

“That’s good,” Levi said. “Is there any way you want to celebrate?”

Eren gave Levi one final squeeze before he hesitantly let go. “I want to stay in and get drunk off tea while decorating cookies and cupcakes.”

“Decorating?” Levi asked, raising one eyebrow.

“Yeah. Your cookies were so delicious and I think it’d be fun to distribute customized cookies! And I’ve always wanted to try piping icing on cupcakes.”

An hour passed by, and Eren and Levi laid out the ingredients neatly on the counter. They decided to bake cupcakes first before cookies. Eren wanted to make 50 cupcakes and 100 sugar cookies. Levi said no. They compromised and started baking 50 cupcakes and 100 sugar cookies.

Eren prepared the chocolate cupcake batter while Levi prepared the vanilla ones. They also prepared the sugar cookie batter together before preparing the frosting from scratch. After some time, they started baking the cupcakes and proceeded to tidy up the kitchen.

“The kitchen smells so good,” Eren groaned. 

“I know, but we should also get some dinner soon,” said Levi as he dried the measuring cups.

“We should-”

“We are not eating these fucking sugar bombs for dinner.”

Eren rolled his eyes as he finished washing the dishes. He lifted himself on the counter, hovering over Levi more as he dried.

Levi looked at the counter before looking up at Eren. “Really?”

He finished the drying before he grabbed Eren’s wrist and pulled him off the counter. However, Eren lost his balance as Levi tugged him with full force. Levi’s eyes widened as he lost his footing, immediately grabbing Eren’s shoulders as he felt himself move backward. Eren quickly grabbed Levi’s waist with one arm while the other arm touched the counter on the other side of the kitchen for support.

They both stayed in the position for a bit. Levi blinked slowly as he examined Eren’s facial features, from his plump lips, up to his nose, to his piercing green eyes that were staring right back at him. 

Eren felt himself hold his breath for a bit as he watched Levi’s eyes. When they made eye-contact, Eren gulped as he tightened his grip on Levi’s waist.

After a few seconds, Eren felt himself move closely towards Levi, pulling Levi’s waist closer to his torso as Levi subconsciously wrapped his arms around Eren’s neck. 

Levi’s breath smelled like mint and tea.

Eren licked his lips, praying he didn’t have bad breath.

Before they both fully closed their eyes, Eren’s phone alarm went off, indicating that the first batch of cupcakes was finished. Both of their eyes immediately opened fully.

After a few more seconds, Eren and Levi let go of each other simultaneously as they turned to the oven. Eren grabbed the oven mitts and pulled out the two trays of cupcakes. 

“Smells good,” Levi said, breaking the silence. 

“They do,” Eren replied, putting a toothpick in one of the cupcakes before taking it out. It was clean.

With ease, Eren took the cupcakes out of the tray and placed them on the countertop. When he finished, Levi placed cupcake wrappers on the empty slots with Eren following with the batter. After they started the next batch, they prepared the sugar cookies.

“What do you want to do for dinner?” Eren asked, feeling his stomach beg for food.

“I could honestly go for some Chinese take out right now,” Levi said.

They spent the rest of the time while the cupcakes were in the oven looking through the menu. Eren wanted to split some lo mein and Levi was persistent on getting General Tso’s chicken. They also decided to order some crab rangoon. While Levi placed the order, Eren took out the cupcakes and placed the sugar cookies in the oven. They would have to make 3 batches of cookies. 

Each batch took about ten minutes. By the time the Chinese food came, the sugar cookies were all baked. They just needed to cool down to ice. The cupcakes were already cooled down, but Levi and Eren were hungry.

Levi scattered the food on the table while Eren gave Captain his dinner. Joining Levi at the dining table, they tapped their chopsticks together before digging in. 

“How do they make their chicken stay so crispy?” Eren asked, examining the chicken between his chopsticks. 

“Truly is a miracle. You would’ve thought they’d be a bit soft after being in a container,” Levi agreed before moving a piece of broccoli to the side. 

“I want to give Hanji a cookie with a brain decoration,” Eren said.

They spent the rest of the dinner talking about what decorations the cookies and cupcakes would have. It was decided that the cupcakes would have a simple vanilla frosting on them. The cupcakes would be customized depending on who they would go to. Hanji was going to get random body parts on her cookies, Armin with books, his grandfather with croissants, and Erwin with butterflies (Levi wanted to have caterpillars, but Eren said no and convinced Levi to let him decorate butterflies because they were prettier).

An hour later, the cupcakes were finished. Levi was working on Papa Arlet’s croissants while Eren carefully piped his fifth butterfly. Levi peered over to see Eren fully in concentration, eyes practically glaring at the cookie.

“You’re really good at things with art,” Levi complimented as Eren placed aside his finished cookie.

“You think?” Eren smiled. “I think I got it from my mom. She used to paint and decorate cookies a lot and I’d do them with her. Mikasa never was one with a talent for art though. And my dad was perfectly happy just eating the art that was edible.”

Levi tapped Eren’s nose with some icing.

Eren stuck out his tongue. 

“My mom was really good at making pastries,” Levi followed. “She would bake in the kitchen while I’d sit at the kitchen table doing homework. It was a great memory.”

Eren nudged Levi with his elbow. “Gotta treasure those memories. I’m sure she was a great woman.”

Levi smiled softly. “She was.”

“Levi, what the fuck is that supposed to be?”

Levi looked down at his cookie. “A croissant.”

“It literally looks like shit.”

“Shut up.”

One hour later, they finished decorating their friends’ cookies. They decided to leave a few cookies plain for them, a few cookies with a simple layer of icing, and ice one cookie for each other.

“Show me!” Eren said, covering his cookie with his hand as he tried to look at Levi’s cookie.

“Calm down,” Levi said. “Let’s do it at the same time.”

They counted down from three and revealed their cookies, laughing at the sight. Eren had drawn two stick figures and one cat. Levi had drawn two smiley faces and a smiley face with cat ears. 

“Same idea,” Eren chuckled. He glanced at the time. Two hours from midnight.

“Let’s eat one cookie!”

Levi nodded. “I’m saving yours for last.”

“Was planning on doing the same thing,” Eren smiled. 

They decided to eat the cookies with only icing on top before putting away the rest of the cookies in small bags. The cupcakes were placed in boxes that they bought while grocery shopping. 

After cleaning up, they both found themselves in Levi’s room. They laid in Levi’s bed horizontally, legs dangling on the edge of the bed with Captain between them. As Levi told Eren about his weird desire to rip Erwin’s eyebrows off his face with hand motions, Eren looked at Levi with a gentle smile.

“I’m telling you. If I really wanted to, I could ask Hanji to experiment on his eyebrows and see if they move like caterpillars," Levi said, before pausing to direct his eyes from the ceiling to Eren's face. He looked at Eren's smile before sprouting a smile himself.

"Will they evolve?" Eren asked, chuckling a bit.

"Hanji would probably do something," Levi said, continuing his discussion.

Eren looked at the handsome gentleman, the smile refusing to leave his face. He couldn't wait to see Levi in a full suit, holding a glass of champagne as they stood next to each other. Eren would give Levi a wink, causing the older man to roll his eyes before winking back as he sipped on his champagne.

He had time to plan now. 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if i could, i would give all my readers a reversible stuffed octopus.

Levi sternly nodded as a student waved at him before leaving his office. He sighed and stretched his arms, looking at his laptop screen and mentally complaining about how he didn’t want to do anything. Students had been going in and out of his office for the past few hours. He just wanted a few minutes of silence. Before he could take a sip of his delicious black tea waiting for him in his thermos, the door slammed open.

The raven-haired man didn’t even flinch but sighed more disappointingly as his obnoxious visitor closed the door behind her and made herself comfortable on the chair next to the small table at the corner of the room.

“My dear Levi,” Hanji beamed, patting the empty chair next to her. “Come join.”

Not having the energy to complain, he tiredly walked over to the spare chair and plopped on it, crossing his legs and arms as he glared at the brunette.

“What.”

“That’s no way to treat someone visiting you!” Hanji pouted. "Just ignore the fact that it was unexpected."

“I’m tired,” Levi retorted.

“Sounds rough,” Hanji snickered. “Anyways, I just came to ask how you’ve been! It’s been a minute.”

Levi glared at her.

“Okay, anyway, I was wondering how you and Eren are. He told me that you really helped him out last week! The cookies were delicious, by the way,” Hanji said. “I finished them all in one day. Even gave some to Moblit later.”

“Eren’s idea,” replied Levi. 

“Amazing! Anyways, did he ask you to the Gala yet? Or are you going to ask him? Spill the tea, I must know.”

Hanji noticed Levi’s shoulders slumped a bit, almost regretting that she brought up the Gala. But her curiosity got the best of her.

“I don’t want to force anything on him. If I were to ask him, maybe he would feel forced to say yes and then just not enjoy himself the whole time. Also, I’m technically not a part of the company. It feels like if anything, he should ask me, but I don’t know if I see that happening,” Levi said, not hesitating on telling Hanji. She’d find out eventually anyway. Telling her at the moment would be less annoying than making her wait. 

“Well, have you noticed anything weird lately?”

Levi thought for a moment. “Well, things are normal for the most part. But sometimes, he’ll look at me like he has something to say and then blurt out something incredibly random. I don’t get it. I’ve been thinking about it for days now. What does he want to say that makes him so hesitant?”

He thought he saw a small glimmer in Hanji’s eyes as she slammed her palms against the table and got off her seat to lean forward toward him.

“Force the fucker to say it.”

Levi pushed Hanji’s forehead, causing her to topple back to her seat before sighing and rubbing his temple with his hand.

“I don’t want to make him uncomfortable,” he said.

“I’m telling you. Do it, you won’t regret it,” Hanji groaned. “Seriously.”

“Why are you so persistent on this? It’s weird,” Levi cautiously said. “Do you know what he wants to say?”

“Okay, to be honest, I’m not sure. But I have my suspicions!”

Levi sighed. “You are literally a few feet away from me. You don’t need to be so damn loud.”

“Okay,” Hanji said, lowering her voice as she sat back down. “I still think Eren needs a gentle push, you know? Aren’t you curious?”

“For fuck’s sake, yes! The fucking brat makes me want to tie him now and demand him to tell me everything.”

“Kinky.”

“Of course, I won’t, since I am a respectful man who cares about Eren’s opinion of me and wants to maintain a good relationship.”

Hanji sighed. “You’re such a good person, what the fuck.”

Levi eyed the brunette. “I’m a fucking angel.”

Hanji groaned as she jumped back up to grab Levi’s shoulders.

“Sometimes yelling is the best way to get your point across!”

“It’s the best way to get your ass thrown across the room,” Levi said as he started to stand while glaring at Hanji.

Hanji let out a yelp before she let go of Levi, jumped off her chair, and ran out of the office, waving frantically at Levi.

“I’ll see you later, Leviiii!” She called out, her voice echoing through the floor. A student turned as Hanji zoomed past her with a vicious smile before cautiously walking into Levi’s office. Levi was back on his desk chair, banging his forehead against his desk.

“Who was that?” The student asked, motioning to the door.

“A pain in the ass,” Levi grumbled before lifting his head up and glaring at the student. 

“Are… you okay? I can come back another time,” the student nervously said.

Levi shook his head.

“No worries. Let’s get this shit over with. What brings you here today?”

A few hours later, Levi found himself coming home to the sight of Eren and Captain on the living room floor. Both were lying face up, sprawled out like a starfish. 

“Welcome home,” Eren said, turning his head to give Levi a smile. Levi’s heart fluttered a bit.

“Do I want to know?” Levi questioned as he eyed Captain, who stared at the ceiling with no movement.

“There isn’t much to it,” Eren said as he sat up. “I came home. I laid on the ground and Captain curled up next to me. But then I had the greatest idea ever to have Captain copy me and here we are.”

Levi couldn’t help but chuckle after taking a careful look at Captain, who meowed at him. He unloosened his red tie and popped off some buttons before placing his bag on a dining chair and sat down next to Eren on the ground. 

“Hanji popped by today,” Levi said as he rubbed Captain’s stomach. Eren widened his eyes.

“That’s where Hanji went? She literally got up in the middle of our conversation and said that she would buy us lunch, which I found weird because we were literally eating lunch. And she came back later to not even bring anything back! I was hoping she’d bring back a milkshake, at the very least.”

Levi was about to ask more questions but decided that he didn’t want to use up his thinking energy at the moment.

“Anyways, how was work today?” Eren asked, nudging Levi a bit. “You honestly seem exhausted.”

“It’s midterm season for the students. And many of them are going to office hours for me to check on their progress and advice on their first major paper. Makes me exhausted, talking to so many people,” Levi said as he carried Captain and moved to the couch. 

Eren immediately followed and sat next to Levi, who wrapped Captain around his neck. Captain meowed at Levi before Levi snuggled his face against Captain’s fur, earning a purr from the cat.

“Ah, never forget midterm season,” Eren chuckled. “So glad I’m not a student anymore.”

He looked at Captain.

“Captain, how come I don’t get any cuddles?” Eren pouted before scooting closer and rubbing his cheek against Captain’s face. Captain meowed as his face got smushed between the two gentlemen’s cheeks. He scrambled out of the spot and moved to the recliner chair as Eren leaned to close the gap and bumped into Levi’s cheek.

“Ah, s-sorry!” Eren stammered as he immediately jerked up.

Levi blinked a few times before shaking his head. “Don’t worry. Shitty cat does shitty things.”

Eren looked back at Levi for a bit before moving so that his head rested against the armrest on the other side of the couch. He mischievously smirked at Levi before placing his feet on Levi’s lap.

Levi pushed Eren’s feet off right away.

“That’s fucking disgusting,” Levi said. “You didn’t even shower yet. And don’t say that you did. You’re literally still in your work clothes.”

“But I want to lay down,” Eren whined. 

“Then do it the other way so that your fucking feet aren’t right under my nose.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

Eren flipped his position and rested his head on Levi’s lap, sticking out his tongue as Levi rolled his eyes.

“Can’t stand my stinky feet?”

“You didn’t shower.”

“I immediately went to the ground as soon as I got home.”

“Lovely,” Levi said as he looked at Eren’s nose before trailing to his eyes, widening his own.

It had just hit him that Eren was on his lap.

Eren didn’t seem to be fazed by the situation, for he seemed to be in thought about something else. His eyes seemed to be in a daze as Levi gulped. 

_Fucker is on my lap. He literally just has to turn his head over to the right and he will be face to face with my -_

“Levi!”

“Fuck!”

Eren had randomly screamed out Levi’s name before jerking his head up fast, slamming his forehead into Levi’s nose. He placed his hand over his forehead before looking up to see Levi covering his own nose, a smear of blood peeking out between his fingers.

“Levi!”

Eren tried to quickly get up and grab a tissue for Levi, but he instead smashed his head against Levi’s hand that was covering his nose.

“Fuck, Eren!”

“I’m sorry!” Eren said, rushing to get off the couch and grab the tissues. He handed them to Levi to put over his nose while grabbing his spare hand, dragging him to the bathroom. 

Levi pinched his nose with one hand, tilting his head forward while he threw the used tissues in the trash, and started washing that hand. Eren looked at Levi with worry, wanting to help but knowing that he wouldn’t be able to do much. 

After around seven minutes, the bleeding stopped. Levi cleaned up before looking at Eren’s forehead. 

“Your forehead has blood,” he stated.

Eren looked at the mirror, seeing some of Levi’s blood smeared on his forehead. He shuddered before immediately cleaning himself up. Levi stepped out of the bathroom to give Eren some room as Captain walked up, looking at the commotion.

“I’m sorry about that,” Eren sheepishly said as he turned off the lights and walked out of the bathroom, rubbing his neck as he looked away from Levi.

“You’re fine, but just be careful next time,” Levi said as he leaned against the door frame. “I think I may take a shower now though.”

“I’ll shower after you then.”

After he finished his shower, Levi walked into his room to put on a pair of grey joggers and a black t-shirt that was comfy and loose on him. He walked back to the living room and sat down on the couch, glancing over at Captain, who was still on the recliner chair napping.

He then looked at his reflection on the TV. Hair was still damp, legs were propped on the coffee table, hands on his lap. Levi looked like a bum, and he didn’t care.

He gently touched his nose, not feeling any pain. At least his nose wasn’t broken. He would’ve been fine, but Eren would’ve felt so bad. Levi didn’t want Eren to feel guilty over an accident.

Speaking of which, Eren was back to seemingly wanting to tell him something. It almost felt like he was going to finally say whatever he had been trying to say the past few days. If only he weren’t such a spontaneous brat and carefully thought things out.

But then again, the spontaneous nature was one of Levi’s favorite charms of Eren.

It was sometimes painful to deal with - literally.

He heard the bathroom door open with the taps of Eren’s feet. Eren opened the door to his room, changing into a red t-shirt and black shorts before heading to the living room.

Levi patted the empty spot next to him on the couch. “Come join, but be careful.”

Eren chuckled as he sat down. “I will.”

“So what caused you to suddenly yell out my name like that?” Levi asked, leaning back to rest against the back of the couch, and turned to the brunet.

Eren’s ears turned red as he looked at his lap, fiddling with his fingers. The hesitancy was obvious and while the conversation with Hanji was at the back of his head, Levi still didn’t want to force it out of Eren.

“You don’t have to answer that question if you don’t want to,” Levi reassured. “I was just curious.”

“Levi!” Eren screamed as Levi was finishing his sentence. He looked at the man with determined green eyes and bright red ears. 

“Yes?” Levi asked, confused. 

He was even more confused when Eren leaped off the couch and ran to his room, yelling at Levi to close his eyes. Levi hesitantly did so, feeling Captain make himself comfortable on his lap.

He heard Eren scrambling across his room, dropping something with an “ow” before the sound of footsteps became louder. Eren sat down on the couch next to him, indicated by the shift in weight. Levi felt Eren lift Captain off his lap, a small meow protesting the movement. He then felt something else being placed in his lap, resisting the urge to touch it. 

“Open your eyes,” whispered Eren.

Levi opened them to see a blushing Eren watching him before looking down to see a woven brown basket on his lap. Inside the basket were a Clorox wipe container, a surface cleaner spray, some new cleaning rags, a bottle of bleach, and a car freshener. On each item was a sticky note with a simple line drawing of a flower.

“You bought the good brand,” Levi commented.

“Yeah.”

“There are pictures of flowers on it.”

“Yeah.”

Levi looked at Eren with a blank stare. “I am touched at the fact you bought the good brands. And to be frank, the flowers and basket are a cute touch. But… I also don’t understand?”

Eren took a deep breath before grabbing Levi’s hand. He glared into Levi’s silver eyes.

“Okay,” he began. Levi raised an eyebrow, confused at why Eren looked so determined and why his heart was pounding as he grabbed Eren’s soft hand back. It was warm, and maybe a tad sweaty. But he didn’t mind. No, not at all.

“So…” Eren followed, licking his lips nervously. 

Levi thought about how cute Eren kind of looked being flustered. He sat and looked at Eren gently, a small smile on his lips as he rubbed his thumb against Eren’s knuckles for encouragement. Eren had all the time in the world, and Levi would give him more if he wanted it. 

Besides, it seemed like Eren was finally going to say what he had been trying to say for the past few days, and the curiosity was killing Levi.

“We should totally go to the Gala together!” Eren blurted out, covering his face with his free hand right away.

Levi froze. There was a brief moment of silence. His heart was going crazy. He had a sudden urge to check if he was asleep to make sure that it wasn’t a dream. Did Eren just say what he thought he said?

“Okay,” Eren said again, seemingly out of breath for someone who didn’t move off the couch. 

He removed his hand from his face and used it to grab Levi’s other hand.

“Levi,” Eren said, green eyes bright and determined at Levi. “Would you be my date for the Gala?”

Levi chuckled to himself before tightening his grip on Eren’s hands. “It would be an honor to be your date to the Gala.”

Eren blinked a few times, looking at Levi with a blank face until he fully processed Levi’s words and smile. He let go of Levi’s left hand to put his right hand against his chest, a huge smile shining on his face.

“Oh, my goodness. I’m so glad,” Eren smiled. “How do you like the bouquet?”

Levi stared down at his lap and rolled his eyes. “It was a surprise, but I like it.”

“You did talk about wanting a bouquet of cleaning supplies one time,” reminded Eren.

Levi smiled. “That, I did.”

He moved the bouquet to the coffee table before leaning back on the couch.

“So was that what you’ve been trying to tell me lately?” Levi asked.

Eren scratched his head. “Was I obvious?”

“You always looked constipated every time you looked like you were about to say something but didn’t.”

“I was nervous,” Eren said, looking up at the ceiling. “I didn’t want to be rejected. So thank you.”

“Well, you weren’t,” Levi said as he nudged Eren with his elbow. "And again, it would be my pleasure to be your date." 

Eren laughed. “Hanji was on my ass every day about asking you, aside from last week. She even got Armin and Papa Arlet to bug me. Jean and Marco even made a bet with them! Speaking of which, they lost the bet. Rip to horseface and freckled angel. Anyway, Hanji really helped me go for what I wanted. If she weren’t there to annoy me, I may have never asked you. I guess she tried to do something about it when she came over to your office today?”

Levi nodded. "She told me to force whatever you wanted to say out. But I didn't want you to be uncomfortable at all."

"That's really nice of you, thank you," shyly smiled Eren.

“I can't believe she’s actually capable of doing something,” Levi murmured.

“Be nice,” Eren chuckled. 

“I’m always nice,” Levi scoffed. “And we’re going to be the best-looking duo at the Gala. Most certainly a nice sight to look at.”

“Right?” Eren looked at Levi, excited as he smiled brightly. “We should totally match.”

Levi scoffed. “Of course. Why wouldn’t we?”

“Didn’t know if you were too cool to match with your date,” Eren teased, earning a flick on his forehead. 

As Levi and Eren continued to talk about what they would wear to the Gala, Levi’s heart grew a little bit bigger. He could feel his fondness for Eren grow. 

Was it love?

No, not quite. 

But as Levi watched Eren enthusiastically talk about the after-party, his chest swelled. He had always been scared when it came to hope. False hope was something Levi hated with a passion. He lived his life pessimistically to avoid being disappointed with what life gave him. However, he found himself looking forward to new exciting things with Eren. Eren came with optimism. 

So was it love?

Levi laughed at a comment Eren made.

Not quite.

...

Yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bro what's gonna happen what's gonna happen what's gonna happen what's gonna happen


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have a crush on hanji zoe.

“Jaeger, you’re such a piece of shit,” groaned Jean, who threw a potato chip at Eren. ****

Eren swiftly caught the chip in his mouth, annoying Jean even more. Jean had wirelessly sent Hanji money after Eren announced to him, with Marco and Armin sitting at the table with them, that he had finally asked Levi to the gala. ****

They were at Papa Arlet’s for lunch. Generally, Eren would be spending his Friday with Levi, but Eren had a meeting that conflicted with Levi’s class and Levi had a meeting right after it. Besides, it had been a while since he got lunch with his boys. ****

“We really thought you would wait until the day of,” Marco laughed as he rubbed Jean’s back. Jean was sour, complaining about the money that left his wallet and went to Hanji’s and Armin’s. Papa Arlet had been a kind man and refused to accept the money from Jean. The other two were a different story. ****

“How have you guys been since then? Only a few days passed since then, right?” asked Armin as he used his fork to stab the perfect bite from his salad. ****

“Things have been fine,” Eren said, stacking his potato chips on his plate. “I think it’s kind of awkward, but not in a bad way. And mainly for me. Levi doesn’t seem to be that fazed, but I suddenly became super conscious of what he does. Last night, he spilled some butterfly pea tea on his white shirt and just took it off right there in front of me before going to his room to change. I thought I was going to pass out.” ****

Jean blew on his pile of potato chips, knocking the stack down. Eren groaned as he eyed Jean, who only smirked in response. ****

"Additionally, it's weird, but I occasionally have these random times when my body decides to become bold. I would touch Levi's arm or something tenderly. Like, very casually. In a romantic sense. And he doesn't seem to mind it. But we aren't even a couple! What is wrong with me?"

“Do you want to be, like, a little more than friends?” Marco asked. ****

Eren thought for a bit, nomming on a potato chip before speaking. “I mean, of course. But I don’t want to rush anything. Besides, I don’t exactly know how Levi feels about me. I get random thoughts that he regrets saying yes, which is bad, I know, but it happens.” ****

Everyone stared at Eren. Armin and Marco exchanged a disappointing look while Jean rolled his eyes. ****

“You’re joking, right?” ****

Eren shrugged.

Jean sighed. “You do realize that he literally said yes to being your date to the Gala. You guys literally talked about matching, for fuck’s sake. If he thought otherwise, I feel like he would’ve definitely told you by now.”

“Okay, bu-”

Armin shoved Eren’s sandwich against his mouth, silencing the brunet. ****

“Listen,” Armin started. “Easier said than done, but you need to gain some confidence. At the very least, Levi is interested in you to some degree. For all we know, he probably is just as awkward as you when it comes to stuff like this. So no more denying that Levi doesn’t see you like that.” ****

Eren grabbed his sandwich and placed it on his plate, chewing as he thought about what Armin said. He was a little scared - scratch that, a lot scared - of rejection. To have Levi reject him would break him. Would he bounce back? Of course, he didn’t actually need Levi. But having Levi would certainly brighten up his life significantly. ****

“Armin’s right,” Marco chimed in. “Again, easier said than done, but don’t worry.” ****

“I concur,” Jean spoke out, a faint smile on his lips. ****

Eren chuckled before flashing a big smile. “You guys are the best.” ****

“We’re here for you, Eren,” Marco beamed.

“Well, well, well,” a new voice said. “All we need are Reiner and Bertolt and we would have the boys all together!” ****

Everyone directed their attention to Connie, who threw a peace sign up. ****

“Mind if I join you guys on my break?” Connie asked. Everyone welcomed him, Armin and Eren scooting away from each other to make room for Connie, who borrowed a chair from the neighboring table. ****

“What’s popping?” ****

“Jaeger has a date to the Gala,” Jean smirked.

Connie widened his eyes and smiled at Eren. “Is it with Levi? Oh, shit. Sasha and I were literally talking about this yesterday, wondering who he'd ask.”

Armin scoffed. “Who else would Eren have a chance with?” ****

“Hey!” ****

Connie slapped Eren’s back. “Congrats, man. What’s happening between you two now?” ****

“Nothing, we’re just chilling,” Eren responded before switching the subject. “How is balancing your degree with two jobs?”

Connie groaned. “A pain in the ass, I’ll tell you. My internship has been killing me, but Gramps has been really nice and allowed me to reduce my hours a little bit. But not too much.” ****

“Why are you working two jobs?” Jean asked. “Trost Corps pays generously for interns, from what I remember.” ****

“Yeah, but the extra money from the cafe helps too,” Connie said. “Sasha has the same idea too. We were hoping to maybe move out of our apartment and get a house after all is settled with student loans.” ****

Everyone nodded in understanding. ****

“So,” Connie wiggled his eyebrows at Eren. “You and Levi.” ****

“Let’s make a bet for when they’ll get together,” Armin smirked, throwing a look at Jean. ****

Jean shook his head. “I’m done with bets for now.” ****

Marco laughed. “I’m with Jean on this one.” ****

“Stop making bets on my love life!”

An hour later, Eren came back to the apartment, greeted by Hanji, who tackled him as soon as he opened the front door. ****

“Eren!” Hanji cheered before being yanked back by Levi.

“You’re so annoying,” Levi grumbled. “Welcome back, Eren.” ****

“Hello, Eren,” a voice followed. Eren peered between Hanji and Levi to see Erwin sitting on the couch, stroking Captain, who was comfortable on his lap. ****

“Hi!” Eren called out, waving his hand before heading to his room to drop off his bag. He came back to the living room to see Hanji sitting on the ground with Erwin, who seemed to move off the couch. Instead, Levi was sitting on the couch and Eren moved next to him.

“How was lunch?” Levi asked, motioning Captain to get on his lap and move from Erwin. Captain responded by leaping onto Levi’s chest, skillfully resting on Levi’s shoulders as if he were a neck pillow. He meowed at Eren. ****

Eren went to scratch the cat’s head. “It was fun. Connie joined us for a little bit too. Did you eat lunch?” ****

“He sure did!” Hanji said before Levi could speak. “After his meeting, Erwin and I kidnapped him and dragged him over here. We had a pizza!” ****

“Uninvited, of course,” Levi gritted between his teeth. ****

“Come on, Levi,” Erwin said. “You know it has been a while since the three of us hung out.” ****

“We did that one time at the cafe.” ****

“We were all working!” ****

Levi rolled his eyes before grabbing a mug from the coffee table, where Eren finally saw the glass of wine opened and two wine glasses partially filled. ****

“Drinking wine, Levi?” ****

“Tea,” he said, raising his mug. “But these shitfaces wanted to have some wine.” ****

Hanji grinned. “Don’t worry, this isn't your wine. I brought it over. Would you like some?”

Eren shook his head. “I’m good. What were you guys talking about since I was out?” ****

“Erwin and I were drilling the hell out of Hanji as to why she’s being a pussy when it comes to confessing her undying love for Moblit,” Levi replied, earning a “hey!” from Hanji.

She groaned. “Okay, okay. You want to know the true reason? Please don’t judge me.” ****

Erwin, Levi, and Eren immediately directed their full attention to Hanji. For someone who was fairly unpredictable, Hanji barely asked anyone to not judge.

“Don’t worry, Hanji,” Eren reassured, smiling softly. ****

Hanji shyly smiled before looking at Erwin and Levi, both giving a slight nod to continue.

“So, I’m actually thinking about changing my pronouns. To she/they. There are days that I feel like a woman, but also days that I just feel like I’m non-binary. Well, I’m not like actually thinking about it. I’m saying that I’m changing my pronouns to she/they. Which I totally understand if that may be confusing, since a lot of people aren’t exposed to those pronoun combinations,” Hanji said, taking a pause to examine the faces of everyone in the living room. “At least, that I know of.”

After realizing Hanji was waiting for a response, Levi spoke first. “Do you have a preference?” ****

Hanji released the breath that she didn’t realize she was holding. “I think it’s 50/50, as of now, at least. It’s new to me, but it feels right. I’m okay with you guys still using she/her pronouns, but I would love for you guys to start addressing me as they/them too. If there’s a day that I feel that I identify strongly with one or the other, I’ll let you know.” ****

Eren smiled. “Sounds good, Hanji! You know that I support you regardless, and Levi and Erwin. But what part are you hesitant about, if you don’t mind me asking? I feel like you’re comfortable enough with us to know that we don’t have a problem with your decision.” ****

“What if Moblit doesn’t like that?” ****

Levi clicked his tongue. “Then I’ll beat his ass. Simple as that. If he can’t accept you as such, then he doesn’t deserve you.” ****

“Yeah, I’ll beat his ass too!” Eren joined. ****

Erwin chuckled. “I’ll ruin him slowly.” ****

Hanji stared at the three of them before her lower lip started trembling. A few seconds later, she burst out crying, latching onto Erwin. ****

“You guys are soooo nice,” wept Hanji. ****

“Honestly,” Eren said. “I have a feeling that this wouldn’t bother Moblit at all. He seems like a very understanding guy. Also, he doesn’t seem like a dick.” ****

“So what are you feeling today?” Erwin asked. ****

Hanji smiled, wiping off their tears. “Can you guys do they/them today?”

“Bet,” Levi replied. He looked over at Eren. “I swear, if they get drunk and throw up in our living room, I’m moving them to the balcony.” ****

“Levi!” Hanji pouted before bursting out into a smile. ****

“Sorry for misgendering you earlier,” Levi said. ****

Hanji shook their head. “No worries! You didn’t know before. I’m not going to be an ass if you forget either. But I want to move on to a topic that I have been successfully resisting myself from asking.” ****

Levi groaned. Erwin chuckled. Eren looked at Hanji in confusion. ****

“It is about time that Eren finally asked you to be his date!” Hanji exclaimed. “I’ve been waiting for ages.” ****

Eren blushed, scratching his head. “At least you got money out of it.” ****

Hanji snickered. “I’m so good at making bets. I need to make another one.” ****

“Don’t make bets on my love life!” Eren groaned. “Armin proposed the same thing earlier.” ****

Erwin took a sip from his glass of wine. “How about we bet on Hanji confessing to Moblit? Who will do it first between them?” ****

“I place my money on Moblit. Hanji is persistent on everything else except when it comes to their own romantic feelings,” Levi said. ****

Eren crossed his arms. “I think Hanji will do it first.” ****

“I agree with Eren,” Erwin chuckled. ****

Hanji gaped at all of them. “Don’t make bets on my love life!” ****

They all ended up hanging out in the living room until dinner time, and Eren had the fabulous idea to invite Armin and Moblit, exchanging a look with Levi, who smirked in response. Hanji groaned at the idea but agreed because they wanted to see Moblit. Erwin didn’t mind at all either. ****

When dinner time came, Armin was sitting on the recliner chair with Captain on his lap while Erwin sat in front of Armin on the floor, using part of the recliner as a backrest. Levi and Eren were on the couch while Hanji and Moblit sat on the floor together. ****

“Tell me the most embarrassing story you know about Hanji!” Armin cheered while Hanji looked over at Moblit with fearful eyes. ****

Moblit chuckled, rubbing Hanji’s shoulder. “I have so many stories of her infamous expeditions in the dorm kitchen.” ****

Levi and Eren looked at each other before looking back at Hanji, who was visibly hesitant for a moment. They looked at Erwin, who nodded before looking at Eren and Levi. Eren gave them a thumbs up while Levi just stared. ****

“Actually, Moblit,” Hanji started. “And Armin, since you’re here too. I go by she/them pronouns, starting today, and today is a them day.” ****

Armin nodded, but the rest of the attention was directed at Moblit, who looked embarrassed. ****

“Oh, goodness! I’m sorry about my earlier statement then!” said Moblit before looking at Hanji endearingly. “Thanks for correcting me.” ****

Hanji’s cheeks turned red as they smiled. ****

“Now about their stories…” ****

Hanji’s smile dropped. ****

While Hanji begged Moblit to keep his mouth shut, and Erwin and Armin laughing at the duo, Eren turned to Levi. ****

“I knew they had nothing to worry about. The question is when will it happen? The chemistry is so obvious,” Eren said, motioning to Hanji trying to cover Moblit’s mouth with their hand. ****

Levi shrugged. “I give it a few months, to be honest.” ****

Eren had the sudden urge to be closer to Levi. But he didn’t want to be too obvious. He scooted a few inches closer until their thighs touched. ****

“Give me a number,” Eren responded before widening his eyes as he felt Levi lean slightly against him, their biceps touching each other.

 _Eren. Listen. Read the situation. Assess it properly. Be Armin. Is this a sign that Levi kinda likes me?_ ****

“Hmm,” Levi thought. “Maybe three months?” ****

“Then I’ll go four or five months,” Eren replied. ****

Levi eyed Eren. “Why?” ****

“Gotta one-up you, you know?” Eren said, chuckling as Levi jokingly punched him on the arm, thankfully lightly. ****

“You’re so stupid,” Levi said. “Are you even using any logic?”

“Nope,” Eren said, making a popping noise at the “p” sound. 

“You’re so lucky you’re cute,” Levi grumbled. Eren dropped his jaw open but covered his mouth as he looked at Levi with wide green eyes. ****

Levi ruffled Eren’s hair. “Look at you, all embarrassed and shit.”

Eren’s face heated up as he covered his face. The raven-haired man chuckled, enjoying himself as he poked Eren’s cheek. ****

“Afraid to show me your face now?” Levi teased. ****

“You’re so bold,” Eren whispered before slowly removing his face. ****

“Well, I can’t have you making all the moves first, now can I?” Levi said, a tiny smile appearing. “I noticed you looking a little bit awkward the past few days, cause I kind of felt the same way. After a lot of talking to Captain late at night, I came to the conclusion that you may need some form of reassurance.” ****

“Reassurance about what?” Eren said, slightly confused. ****

Levi looked over at Hanji, who was wrestling with Moblit as Erwin and Armin engaged in their own discussion. ****

“Another time,” he said quickly before getting up to yank Hanji off of Moblit. ****

“Alright, fuckers. What’s for dinner?” ****

“Eren and I will cook!” Armin announced as he raised his hand, startling Captain, who made his way to Erwin’s shoulders. ****

Eren eyed the blond. “Excuse me? I mean, I don’t mind, but - ” ****

“Amazing!” Armin said as he jumped off the recliner, grabbing Eren and pulling him up before heading to the kitchen. ****

Armin opened the fridge. “What do you have?”

“Armin! You can’t just suddenly say - “ ****

“I know,” Armin said as he closed the fridge before leaning against it. “I just wanted to talk to you, and this is the most privacy we will get.” ****

Eren glanced over at the living room. Hanji had made their way over to the couch, saying something random that annoyed Levi as he got off the couch and chased after the brunette. Moblit only shook his head with a weary smile on his face as Erwin tried to separate the two. ****

“What’s up?” Eren said as he motioned Armin out of the way so that he could look in the fridge, eyeing the chicken breasts and heavy cream. “By the way, we’ll make creamy Tuscan chicken. But I’m putting you in charge of the vegetable side dish.” ****

Armin peeked in the fridge. “I’ll roast some zucchini and green beans.” ****

The duo stood next to each other, Armin cutting the zucchini while Eren cut the chicken breasts in half.

“What were you and Levi talking about?” asked Armin. ****

Eren paused his cutting to look over at Armin. “Oh, so you’re just nosy.” ****

Armin shrugged. “You can’t blame me. I’m a detective, always searching for answers.” ****

Eren rolled his eyes but smiled. “We were just talking about when Hanji and Moblit will end up together. I feel like it’s definitely going to happen.” ****

“There’s definitely more to that conversation, bro. I saw your cheeks. Why were they red, lover boy?” Armin teased as he drizzled a little bit of olive oil on the baking pan full of vegetables before seasoning them with grated parmesan and garlic. He then placed the baking pan in the oven. ****

“It gets hot in the living room,” Eren lied, seasoning the chicken breasts before placing them on the pan to cook. He then started chopping the garlic for later. ****

“Lies. Your ears are red.” ****

“Man, fuck you,” Eren groaned. “And wash your hands.”

Armin chuckled as he went to the sink as Eren eyed the chicken. While the chicken cooked, Eren started washing the cutting boards and knives. ****

Drying his hands, Armin scooted over to give Eren access to the sink. “Levi called you cute, didn’t he?” ****

“I’m washing the dishes. Can you get out the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, and dijon mustard, please? And then flip the chicken.”

Armin grabbed the ingredients while Eren washed. Soon, he joined Armin at the stove, flipping the chicken breasts. ****

“He totally called you cute,” Armin cooed. “It’s so obvious.” ****

“Your face is so obvious,” Eren retorted poorly, grabbing six plates. After eyeing the chicken for a bit, he placed two chicken breast slices on each plate. He then added the garlic, mustard, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan, lowering the temperature. ****

“Am I wrong?” Armin asked, opening the oven to check on the roasted vegetables. He mixed them around a bit before putting them back in. ****

“...No.” ****

Armin smirked. “Knew it.”

Eren poured the cream in, stirring it occasionally before adding spinach and grated parmesan. ****

“Sometimes, you’re a pain,” Eren said, but couldn’t help himself and smiled at the blond. ****

“I like seeing you like this, Eren,” Armin said, nudging him. “You getting flustered because you have a cruuuush.” ****

“Leave me alone,” groaned Eren as he moved to the side to let Armin open the oven to take out the vegetables. He started plating them on each dish as Eren drizzled the cream on the chicken breasts. ****

“Never, and you love me,” Armin giggled. ****

“I hate you.” ****

“Sure,” laughed Armin, and Eren couldn’t help but laugh along. ****

Levi walked up to Eren and stood next to him. He sniffed the air. ****

“Smells good.” ****

Eren grinned. “Thanks! Help yourself.” ****

“Let me give Captain his dinner first.” ****

After letting Captain nom on his food, Levi grabbed a few plates from the counter to put on the dining table, Armin doing the same as Eren grabbed the utensils. Armin sat down at one side of the table. Eren sat down next to Armin in the middle, and Hanji was about to sit next to him when she suddenly got jerked back. Levi then made himself comfortable next to Eren as Hanji snickered, sitting across Eren while Erwin sat across Armin and Moblit across Levi. ****

Everyone complimented Armin and Eren for the dinner. Levi pointed out how Eren always made the most tender chicken breast, never overcooking it. ****

“Makes me cum in my pants,” Levi commented as he put a piece of chicken in his mouth. Eren almost choked on his green bean as everyone else laughed. ****

“I’m impressed by Armin, too, but I’m sure you got that from your grandfather,” Erwin said. ****

Armin nodded. “Yup!” ****

“So, Moblit,” asked Eren after he recovered from Levi’s statement. “Are you single?”

Hanji kicked Eren’s shin. Eren tried his best to resist showing any pain as Levi glared at them. ****

Moblit shook his head as he cut his chicken. “Nope.” ****

“Are you interested in anyone?” Armin followed up. ****

Hanji froze, suddenly invested in their zucchini. Erwin eyed Armin before looking over at Hanji. ****

“Well, kind of?” Moblit replied. “To be frank, I haven’t given it too much thought because I enjoy the friendship I have with them and don’t want to ruin it, but maybe when the chance comes, I’ll ask them.” ****

“Better ask soon, you’ll be surprised,” said Levi before placing a piece of zucchini in his mouth. ****

Moblit chuckled. “Gotta give me a bit, you know?” ****

Armin smiled. “Absolutely.” ****

He then glared at Hanji, whose cheeks were turning slightly red. Eren and Levi gave each other a look, shaking their heads amusingly. ****

After a delicious dinner, they ended the night sipping on water and nomming on some leftover cupcakes Eren and Levi had. Hanji volunteered to clean the dishes, but Levi refused and did it himself, grabbing the wine glasses and his mug as everyone else gathered in the living room. Eren sprawled himself across the floor next to Armin while Hanji, Erwin, and Moblit sat on the couch.

“Food coma,” Eren groaned as Levi walked over, kneeling down to flick Eren’s forehead. “Hey!” ****

Armin chuckled as Levi sat down next to Eren’s head. Captain immediately went to Levi’s lap. ****

“Thank you for dinner,” Erwin said, looking at Armin. “It was delicious.” ****

Eren noticed Erwin’s stare and teased Armin. “Armin would sure make a good housewife, right?” ****

Erwin chuckled, winking at Armin. “I’m sure of it.” ****

Levi snorted. “Eren would obviously be better. No one can cook a chicken breast to perfection like him.”

Armin and Eren were both blushing from the attention while Hanji laughed. ****

After a few hours, everyone took their leave in high spirits. Eren waved them off before closing the front door and letting out a huge breath. ****

“I’m exhausted,” Eren said. Levi got up from the floor and made his way to the closet. ****

“Let’s clean.” ****

Eren groaned as he dragged his feet to wipe down the couches as Levi cleaned the floors. They then placed the dried dishes away and wiped down the tables. As soon as they finished, Levi dashed to the shower. Eren lit up a lavender vanilla candle and sat on the floor playing with Captain until Levi finished showering, wearing a navy blue t-shirt and black shorts. The brunet hopped in the shower and Levi took off the covers for the couch pillows and grabbed the throw blanket to put in the washing machine. He then grabbed another throw blanket to toss on the couch and grabbed two mugs to prepare some tea. ****

“What tea are you feeling tonight?” asked Levi as he heard Eren leave the bathroom.

“Peppermint!” Eren called out as he walked into the main area in a grey t-shirt and navy blue shorts, plopping on the couch with his stomach down with his legs hanging off. He made sure that Levi had a place to sit. ****

Levi brought over two mugs of peppermint tea, pushing the coffee table away from the couch a bit before placing a mug down on it. He then activated the reclining function on the couch and sat down, sipping his tea. ****

Eren slowly got up and grabbed his phone to play a piano playlist through the speakers he scattered around the main area. He then grabbed his mug and sat down next to Levi, placing one leg on the reclined part of the couch as they sipped tea next to each other. Captain made his way to the empty spot next to Eren, circling it a few times before taking a croissant form.

“Today was a good day,” Eren said. ****

“Can’t disagree with that,” Levi replied. ****

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Eren spoke out again. ****

“What did you mean when you said that you were giving me reassurance?” ****

Levi sipped his mug before looking at Eren.

“You seemed a bit tense lately. I couldn’t put my finger on it at first, but I had a passing thought that you may have felt weird about the whole date to the Gala thing. So, I wanted to reiterate that I am very happy that you asked me to be your date. No regrets. I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable for anything,” Levi said before brushing his hair back and chuckling a bit. "Shit, I'm so awkward. Sorry, brat." ****

Eren took a sip of his tea, hiding the small smile that he had. Levi was getting flustered and the sight was adorable. ****

“I appreciate you.” ****

Levi paused for a bit before he smirked. “I mean, I feel like you’re making all the big moves here. I can’t slack off over here. Asking me to get our ears pierced together, and then the date? I’m weak.” ****

Eren rolled his eyes as he laughed. ****

“I don’t know how people say you don’t have emotions. Well, you do show less emotion than the average person, but I wouldn’t call you emotionless, per se.” ****

It was Levi’s turn to roll his eyes.

“I feel like Hanji told you that.” ****

“Yeah.” ****

“I’m just more comfortable around you, I guess. I’m a little shocked at how much emotion I show around you, too,” Levi said, averting his sight.

Piano music filled the pause as Eren watched Levi sip his tea. His heart was warm, touched by Levi’s words. Was he different from everyone else? ****

“I’m glad you’re comfortable around me,” Eren said, placing his hand on Levi’s forearm. ****

He also was secretly patting his back, congratulating himself for being bold.

Levi looked at Eren’s thumb caressing him before looking back up at the brunet. The lights were dimmed, with only the lamp on the side table next to Levi. Eren’s eyes were still vibrant but had a soft tone to them. They made Levi melt. ****

Meanwhile, Eren’s heart was pounding hard. Levi’s skin was cool to the touch. It was nice. It didn’t help that Levi was staring into his eyes with his blue eyes with silver sparkles. Eren's bold moves were proving themselves to be effective. ****

_Where did this confidence come from? We aren't even dating, for fuck's sake!_

_..._

_But I don't want to stop._

Captain wanted to switch positions and made his way over to Eren and Levi. He tried to go under Eren’s hand that was resting on Levi’s forearm, indicating that he wanted to be scratched. Eren chuckled as he scratched behind the black cat’s ear, earning a purr. ****

“Such a needy brat,” Levi mumbled. ****

“He’s cute!” Eren said. “I have to give him lots of love.” ****

Levi looked at Captain, who looked back at him with his green eyes. The raven-haired man looked up at another pair of green eyes.

Eren smiled softly before finishing his tea and placing it on the coffee table. He grabbed Captain and cuddled the cat against his chest. ****

Snuggling the cat with his cheek, he cooed at Captain as he moved side to side. ****

“You’re so cute, yes you are.” ****

Eren then paused for a bit before grabbing Captain by putting his hand under Captain’s front armpits. He lifted the cat up and down before looking at Levi. ****

“Did Captain gain weight?” ****

Levi shrugged. ****

Eren lifted the cat up and down again.

“He totally gained weight."

As if he understood what Eren said, Captain squirmed around until Eren let go of him, moving to Levi's lap. Levi petted Captain.

"Seems like you may need to be put on a diet. No more treats for a bit," Levi said.

After Levi finished his tea, they both brushed their teeth before crashing in Levi's room for a bit, making sure that they turned off the music and lights in the main area beforehand. Eren made himself comfortable on Levi's bed, getting underneath his covers.

"I believe that this is my bed," Levi said as he laid down next to Eren on top of the sheets.

"Technically, I bought everything here," Eren said. "And I want to be comfortable."

"Still my room."

Eren chuckled as Captain positioned himself between the duo, sprawling his body out before falling asleep. Levi brushed through Captain's fur.

"The Gala is in a week, right?"

"Yeah, we'll have to buy our fancy clothes. Did we ever decide on how we're going to match?" Eren said as he slowly closed his eyes.

"Are you going to fall asleep right now in my bed, brat?" Levi joked.

"No, I'm just closing my eyes just cause," Eren responded. "You should try it."

Levi rolled his eyes but closed his eyes. It felt nice.

Neither of them realized that they fell asleep right away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmaoooooo are they gonna cuddle or nah. you know it was a good day when you fall asleep super fast and content, not overthinking about anything. our boys are so oblivious. can't believe they didn't see this coming. this is what happens when you have a good day, folks!!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a tad late with updating, but I hope this chapter makes up for it :)

Eren snuggled his cheek against black hair, the warmth luring him to sleep more. Nothing sounded better than sleeping at the moment.

As he wrapped his arms around the warmth, Eren felt it stir and snuggled the warmth further until he got bit on the nose.

His eyes quickly opened to Captain squirming out of his arms. When he loosened his arms, Captain ran off the bed. Eren groaned as he rubbed his eyes, more awake than he wanted. After he properly opened his eyes, he saw Levi laying down next to him, his phone above his face as he mindlessly scrolled through social media.

Levi looked bored. Eren watched as he moved his thumb up across his phone screen. Levi’s hand was behind his neck. The brunet looked down at Levi’s biceps until he moved up to see a pair of grey eyes staring back.

“Good morning,” Levi said.

Eren let out a yelp before receiving a flick on the forehead from Levi. 

“Ow,” Eren groaned as he rubbed his forehead. He looked around the room, noting the blue tones and realizing that he was, in fact, not in his own room. 

“Is that how you react to someone letting you stay in their room for the night?” Levi smirked, propping his upper body up with one arm as he put his phone down between them. 

Eren briefly admired the view of Levi’s pecs peeking from underneath the blanket before processing Levi’s words. He hid his face behind his hands as he groaned in embarrassment.

“Why didn't you wake me up? I’m so sorry!” Eren said, refusing to look at Levi.

Levi gently tugged Eren’s hands away from his face. When Eren didn’t budge, he forcefully yanked them away so that he could look at the green-blue eyes. 

“You’re fine. I think we both fell asleep at the same time last night, so it wasn’t a bother at all,” Levi replied. “And when I woke up, you looked so calm so I didn’t wake you up. So seriously, you’re fine.”

“Thanks,” murmured Eren as he sat up and stretched his arms. He then laid back down and snuggled underneath the covers. Levi kicked Eren’s thigh.

Eren pouted as Levi explained to him that they had to go out and buy suits for the Gala. As much as the bed was calling for him, Eren knew that the older man was right. He asked for five more minutes to lay down, which Levi replied by pulling the covers off him and telling him to brush his teeth.

After a small breakfast of eggs and bagels and a refill of Captain’s breakfast bowl, they decided to head out. While driving in Eren’s car to the shopping center, they discussed that they would go with a sun and moon theme. The concept is that they would both wear black tuxedos with white dress shirts, but Eren would wear a gold bow tie and Levi a silver one as the sun and moon, respectively. Neither Eren nor Levi had any tuxedos, for they mainly wore suits, but the concept of being the hottest duo in formal attire appealed to them. Eren said that he wanted to add a little something to their attire, but refused to tell Levi.

Even as they walked inside the store, Eren kept his mouth shut.

“I give up,” Levi groaned as he nodded at the employee who greeted them. 

“How can I help you gentlemen today?” asked the employee.

“We’d like to get fitted for two tuxedos, please,” Eren said. 

The employee, an older blonde man, nodded. “Do you have any specifics?”

“Formal. Turned-down collar dress shirt and single-breasted jackets for both of us. Peaked lapels. We are both aiming for bowties, his gold, and mine silver,” Levi spoke, pointing at Eren and himself, respectively. Eren eyed Levi, amazed that he thought that far.

“Excellent, sir,” the employee responded. “Do you both know if you’ll wear suspenders, a vest, or something else?”

Eren perked up. “I’d like the suspenders.”

He glanced over at Levi. “I’ve always wanted to try suspenders. Very swifty.”

“I’m more interested in a black vest,” Levi said. 

The employee, whose name was Jude, led them to the back of the store to get fitted. A casual conversation between Eren and Jude filled the silence, with Eren explaining what the tuxedos were for and Jude replying with interest. Levi thanked the high powers that he didn’t have to talk much. He simply sat and watched Eren get measured by Jude, mesmerized by Eren’s beauty instead of the conversation taking place.

“What’s the purpose of the Gala?” Jude asked as he measured Eren’s chest.

“The higher-ups want an excuse to dress nice honestly. But it is also a fundraiser for the research we are doing. We’ll spend some time networking, enjoying the food, and drinking champagne. I’m definitely looking forward to the afterparty,” Eren chuckled. 

Jude smiled. “Are you going to wear the tuxes to that?”

Eren shook his head. “Too nice.”

Jude wrote down a few things on his notepad before measuring for Eren’s slacks. “So how did you and Levi meet?”

“A mutual friend. I work with them and they’re Levi’s friend. He was looking for a place to stay after coming from France and I just so happened to be looking for a roommate. It worked out perfectly,” Eren explained. “Couldn’t ask for anyone better.”

Jude eyed Levi before looking back at Eren. “You two seem close.”

“We got close pretty fast, but it works out. If it weren’t for Levi, I wouldn’t even have a pet cat.”

“A cat?” Jude questioned, raising his eyebrow.

“Yes!” Eren said as he dug in his pocket for his phone. “Let me show you a picture.”

As Eren pulled up a picture of Captain, Jude took note of Levi’s gaze at Eren. The man seemed very stone-faced for the most part. Until he interacted with Eren, that is.

“Here he is! He followed Levi all the way home!” Eren grinned as he displayed their cat to Jude. 

Jude looked at the picture before chuckling to himself. Captain had Levi’s black hair and Eren’s eyes. “He seems to suit you both well.”

“Oooh, that’s nice to hear!” Eren cheered.

After finalizing Eren’s measurements, Jude asked Levi to switch places with Eren. Eren announced that he was going to go to the bathroom, leaving the two gentlemen alone.

“So your cat followed you home?”

Levi nodded. “He sure did.”

“But you could’ve taken him to a shelter. Why keep him?”

“It was a feeling,” Levi replied, shrugging. “Cat was cute.”

Jude started doing Levi’s measurements before pausing to look at the man. “Was it the eyes?”

Levi froze for a bit before blinking a few times. “Eyes?”

“Your cat has remarkably similar eyes to Eren,” Jude explained as he jotted down numbers on his notepad for Levi.

Levi didn’t respond for a bit, unsure of what to say before Jude chuckled.

“Quite endearing,” Jude added.

Before Levi could even reply, Eren came back from the restroom, immediately engaging in conversation with Jude. Levi thanked Eren for his impeccable timing. Eren knew that Levi wouldn’t want to engage with casual chatter with a stranger anyway.

Levi watched Eren as he talked to Jude before looking at Levi. When they made eye contact, Eren smiled and Levi’s heart almost burst.

Eren’s smile could almost kill, with how pearly white his teeth were and how expressive his beautiful green eyes were. Levi wanted something more than friendship. Being pestered by Hanji didn’t help either. All morning, before Eren woke up, Hanji kept sending Levi Reddit threads of people who successfully asked out someone. It annoyed him to the point where he put his phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode.

Even if Hanji’s texting annoyed him, the thought of having Eren as a romantic partner didn’t.

Jude walked the men through the process of getting a customized tuxedo, with choosing the fabrics, the type of bow ties, the shoes, and even the socks. They looked for shoes that were too fancy for Eren and chose the best bow ties that complimented each other, settling for a semi-butterfly style. Eren simply asked Jude to choose suspenders that he thought would best suit the occasion.

“So how long have you gentlemen been together for?” Jude asked as he wrote down the final details for the customized suits.

Eren started to stammer while Levi only widened his eyes.

“W-we aren’t together! We’re just dates!” Eren explained flusteredly. Jude eyed both of the men as he filed the sheets away.

“Interesting,” he murmured. After processing the costs of the tuxedos and finalizing them, Jude told them to come back in a few days for pick up.

“I’ll see you gentlemen later. Take care,” Jude said with a wink. Eren and Levi took their leave, Eren waving at the man while Levi gave a curt nod.

Moments later, they sat at the shopping center parking lot in the car.

“What now?” Eren asked, looking over at Levi, who was staring out of the window in the passenger seat.

“Can we get ice cream?” Levi replied.

“Ice cream?”

“Yeah, I want ice cream,” Levi said, leaning back in his seat before turning his head to Eren. “Specifically the one with the chocolate shell. On a cone. Waffle.”

Eren chuckled as he started the car. “Ice cream it is. Let’s head back home first and walk. I know just the place.”

Soon, they were sitting on a bench at Garrison Park. Levi got his chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream on a waffle cone while Eren got a large cup of chocolate ice cream with chocolate shavings and raspberries

They silently ate their ice cream while watching a group of people play tug-of-war with a sturdy rope. There was a live jazz concert not too far from the game, and people were doing their jogs around the lake. The sun was out, unfortunately out enough to make Eren’s ice cream melt faster than he’d like. 

“If it melts, you can drink it like a milkshake,” Levi pointed out as he bit off a piece of chocolate from his ice cream. “With random chunks of chocolate and raspberries, of course.”

“But I got ice cream, not a milkshake,” Eren pouted as he scooped a chunk of ice cream with his small spoon, making sure to include some raspberries and chocolate. 

By the time Eren finished his ice cream, Levi had already finished his and started nomming on his waffle cone. Eren adjusted his body so that he was facing the raven-haired man, one leg propped up on the bench as Eren rested his chin on his knee. He wrapped his arms around the propped leg as he watched Levi bite off a piece of waffle, chewing as he looked at the fountain on the pond. 

A slight breeze came by. Levi’s hair flew back perfectly before settling to where it was before, although a tad messy. The man continued to nibble on his waffle cone and Eren smiled at how content Levi looked.

Levi was able to make Eren smile with the simplest actions, from eating a waffle cone to preparing tea for their random night talks. The brunet could only imagine how he would react to Levi being romantic to him.

_Romance._

The word lingered in Eren’s mind. It always led to Levi whenever he thought about it. Eren had recently explored the thought of initiating a relationship that went past friendship with the man, despite taking forever to ask Levi to be his date. He thought back to a conversation he had with Papa Arlet when Eren came by during a slow lunch period, a couple of days after he asked Levi to be his date.

_“Heard you finally asked out the fellow,” the old man said as he took a seat across from Eren, sliding a cup of coffee over._

_Eren shyly smiled as he grabbed the cup, nodding._

_Papa Arlet shuffled Eren’s hair. “Atta boy.”_

_Eren groaned as he felt the rough hands mess up his hair, waving them off before fixing his hair. After taking a sip of coffee, Eren spoke up._

_“Can I ask you for your input on something?”_

_Papa Arlet smiled. “Of course.”_

_“I like Levi,” Eren slowly started, eyeing the man. He waited for some joke to come out or even a roll of the eyes, but Papa Arlet simply nodded._

_“But I don’t think h-”_

_“Finish that sentence and I will dump your coffee on you.”_

_Eren flinched at the sudden interruption._

_Papa Arlet sighed. “Why do you keep telling yourself that?”_

_“Because being optimistic is scary,” Eren stated._

_“Yes, it can be,” Papa Arlet said. “But you need to remember that you are deserving of optimism. Do I need to remind you to follow your own advice that you probably tell your clients?”_

_Eren gave out a small laugh. “I guess I do forget that sometimes.”_

_“What would your parents do if you told them this?”_

_Papa Arlet made direct eye contact with Eren. Memories of his parents flashed in Eren’s mind as he thought about his parents. The older man sat quietly, giving time for Eren to assemble his thoughts._

_“Mom would probably gush over the fact that I’m interested in someone and try to be a wing woman, but she would probably overstep some boundaries,” Eren finally said, a smile appearing on his lips. “Dad would probably tell me to grow some balls because I miss 100% of the shots I don’t take. He wouldn’t be weird about it, I think. But they ultimately will tell me to do what my heart truly wants.”_

_Papa Arlet nodded. “Your parents were marvelous people. You and Mikasa are no exception to that. And I’m sure that if they saw how Levi acted around you, they would try to push you to make a damn move before that boy gets taken. But even then, I feel like he would wait for you.”_

_“You’re being so cheesy,” Eren complained._

_“I’m serious,” the old man said. “Levi has one of the biggest bitch faces out there, but being around you makes him almost approachable. His features relax and the way he looks at you reminds me of how your parents look at each other. And don’t even get me started on how you look at him.”_

_Eren eyed Papa Arlet. “That sounds a bit fast. You almost make it sound like Levi is the absolute one for me.”_

_“I agree that it does seem a bit unrealistic,” Papa Arlet said. “But I’ve been around your parents, and many people in love, for a long time. You never know. My point is that if something makes you happy, then go for it. Even if Levi doesn’t turn out to be your life partner, he makes you happy. Happiness matters.”_

_“But what if Levi gets disgusted by me and then moves out?”_

_“Goddamn it, Eren, did you listen to a single word I said?”_

_“Every single one,” Eren huffed. “But you sounded so cliche, it was kind of difficult to take you seriously.”_

_“Just listen to me as an old man. With age comes wisdom. I think you need to let go of your fears.”_

_“Didn’t you think that people used only 10% of their brains three years ago?”_

_“And that was back when I was young. I’m older now. Stop digressing from the topic,” Papa Arlet sighed as he rubbed his temples. “Just think about what we talked about.”_

Eren knew that he was being hesitant. He couldn’t help it. But at the same time, that particular conversation with Papa Arlet changed his views a bit. Maybe it was because Papa Arlet mentioned his parents. And stared at Eren with his bright blue eyes as he did so.

Would his parents like Levi?

Eren’s mom would probably not be fazed by Levi’s demeanor. She’d continue to be her friendly, welcoming self. His dad, on the other hand, would be reserved for a bit, evaluating Levi’s every move. But he would eventually warm up to the man. And then they would try to make fun of Eren as much as they could.

Mikasa was a different story. Eren knew that they should meet soon. After all, she was the only family he had left, but he decided to put that thought away for another time. Was it potentially dangerous for him to delay his sister from meeting his roommate? Probably. But Eren needed some time to actively prepare for the moment. 

As he continued to look at Levi, he knew that it would still be an honor to have his heart broken by the most wonderful person in his life thus far. Even if it would hurt so much.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Levi said before throwing the last bit of his waffle cone in his mouth, turning his head to face Eren.

Eren rolled his eyes. “My apologies, but pictures don’t do you justice.”

Levi stared at Eren, who shifted a bit. He scooted a few inches closer to the man, reaching out his hand to push a few brown strands away from Eren’s eyes. Cool fingers lightly touched Eren’s tan skin, causing Eren to shiver slightly. 

Then, Levi retracted his hand and stood up before turning to Eren.

“Let’s head back to the apartment,” Levi said suddenly. “I wanna check on something.”

Eren nodded as he got up and walked next to Levi, his mind on the intimate moment they had just shared. He knew that the only thing he wanted more than anything back at the bench was for Levi to lean in and gently kiss him. Levi’s lips weren’t chapped. They were plump and would be enjoyable to have against his own lips.

The brunet glanced over to his right at the gentleman. Levi seemed to be in thought, eyes mindlessly looking forward as he moved, so Eren didn’t bother talking. He didn’t mind anyway. There was nothing wrong with some comfortable silence. It just gave him more time to think about Levi’s fingers against his skin. 

When Eren unlocked the door, Captain pranced over before getting on his hind legs, reaching out for Eren to pick him up. Eren chuckled as he rubbed his cheek against Captain, who purred in response. He walked over to the floor in front of the television, sitting down before laying on his back. Captain squirmed out of Eren’s grasp before making himself comfortable on Eren’s stomach. 

Eren chuckled before looking over at Levi, who was quickly typing on his phone before walking over. He sat down next to Eren, back against the coffee table with his legs out in front of him.

“Everything good?” Eren asked, petting Captain. “You were quiet on the way back. Not that it’s a bad thing. I just wanted to check up on you.”

Levi was silent for a few moments. They looked at each other’s eyes, with the apartment quiet aside from their breaths. Eren sat up and moved so that he was sitting next to Levi’s knees, crossing his legs. Captain refused to move, moving his body with Eren’s before ultimately ending up on Eren’s lap. 

“Eren,” Levi said, before looking away and then looking back at green eyes. “Remember when I said that you were making all the moves first?”

Eren thought back to yesterday when he and Levi were sitting on the couch, ignoring Moblit teasing Hanji and Armin and Erwin enjoying the view.

“Yeah?” Eren answered. His palms started to feel sweaty.

“So by any means, if I make you uncomfortable at any time, let me know,” Levi started off.

“Yeah, of course,” Eren said. 

“Fuck, I’m bad with words,” Levi said, looking at the ceiling and rubbing his neck. 

“Whatever you want to tell me, it can wait if you want!” Eren assured, placing one hand on Levi’s knee. “No pressure.”

“But I want you to know now,” Levi groaned as he looked at Eren, dejected. “But words.”

“How about I make some tea for us? Tea is calming,” Eren said. Levi nodded slowly, disappointed with himself.

Eren lifted Captain off his lap to move him on the couch before heading to the kitchen, with Levi trailing behind. He decided to make chamomile tea, filling up the kettle with water before placing it on the stove. Grabbing two cups out, Eren eyed Levi, who leaned against the counter watching Eren. Eren placed the mugs down on the counter next to Levi before putting the tea bags in them.

“Seriously, Levi, don’t beat yourself up,” Eren said as he placed his hand on Levi’s shoulder.

“I like you,” Levi immediately followed up, looking at Eren’s eyes with nervousness. 

Eren felt his breath hitch for a bit. He replayed the three words over and over in his mind.

_I like you. I like you. I like you._

“I like you,” repeated Levi, sounding more firm. “And not as a friend. Well, I mean, I do like you as a friend, but right now, I’m talking about romantically. Just so we’re clear. And I just want to tell you that because, fuck, Eren, you’ve been on my mind so much lately.”

_I like you._

“And it’s okay if you don’t like me back. Well, not really, cause it’ll hurt like a motherfuc- oh, shit. The water is boiling. I’ll get the kettle,” Levi rambled on as he turned off the stove, moving away from Eren’s grip, and quietly poured hot water into both mugs before directing his attention to Eren. 

“But I want to tell you. I want to tell you that you mean a lot to me and today, looking at you on that bench with your fucking beautiful eyes made my heart burst. But I’m too awkward to say this shit at a public setting so-”

“Levi,” Eren whispered. 

_I like you._

“Yes?” Levi replied hesitantly. 

They stood in the kitchen, Levi’s back against the counter with steaming mugs to his left. Eren stood in front of him, face completely pink as he took Levi’s left hand in his right. 

“You don’t have to worry,” Eren continued, his heart beating fast in his chest. “I’m happy.”

Levi blinked. 

_I like you._

“You have no idea how long I’ve been beating myself up thinking about how you would react if you ever found out about my feelings for you,” Eren said, rubbing his thumb against Levi’s hand.

Eren chuckled, looking away for a bit. “And all of my friends kept telling me not to worry, but I still worry. But fuck, they were right.”

He looked down at grey eyes. “I had nothing to worry about, and neither do you. Because I like you.”

Levi squeezed Eren’s hand before he started laughing, a wide smile appearing on his face.

“Fuck, you were so much smoother than I was,” Levi said. Eren rolled his eyes.

“Please, I felt like a wreck,” Eren grinned. 

They both looked down at their linked hands. Eren slowly let go of Levi’s hand before placing his own hand on Levi’s back and moving the raven-haired man towards his chest.

Levi took in Eren’s scent as he wrapped his arms around Eren’s chest, feeling Eren’s other hand on his undercut. He could hear Eren’s heartbeat accelerating and chuckled to himself, knowing that his heart was the same way.

After a few minutes of embracing each other, Eren’s stomach growled. 

“Hungry?” Levi asked as he looked up at Eren with a small smile.

Eren nodded sheepishly.

“We can order take out if you’d like to stay inside the whole day,” Levi suggested.

“Couldn’t imagine anything better right now,” Eren smiled.

They ordered some Japanese hibachi and sushi for lunch. Since they didn’t plan on leaving the apartment for the rest of the day, Eren decided to take an early quick shower, followed by Levi. By the time Levi finished, the Japanese food was laid out on the coffee table. Eren sat on the couch, drinking his tea as he stared at the food.

Levi sat next to the brunet. “What’s on your mind, brat?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in a relationship,” Eren answered.

“Me too. What’s your point?” 

Eren looked over at Levi. “I guess… what do we do from here?”

“Well, I’m not 100% sure,” Levi said as he turned his body to face Eren. “But we can figure out a pace as things progress. I think the most important thing that we both need to remember is that things are going to work out just fine.”

Eren placed down his mug before scooting closer to Levi. He grabbed one of Levi’s hands, watching Levi as he lifted his hand to his lips, placing a kiss on Levi’s knuckles gently. 

“I believe it,” Eren said smoothly, smiling as Levi’s face started to turn pink.

Levi stammered a bit before turning away from Eren, mumbling about how the food was going to get cold because Eren opened the containers.

“You’re a brat,” Levi said as he grabbed a pair of chopsticks.

Eren chuckled. “And you’re my boyfriend.”

It took a bit for the word “boyfriend” to process in both of their minds before a wave of embarrassment hit. Eren started feeling his neck warm up when Levi made a realization, putting away his chopsticks first.

“Brat,” Levi said, snapping his head to Eren. “You never asked me to be your boyfriend.”

Eren covered his face with his hands. “Oh, my God. I never did. I’m so stupid. Levi, ignore that.”

“Eren,” Levi started. Eren still hid his face behind his hands.

Levi tried to pry Eren’s hands off his face gently. When that didn’t work, Levi grabbed Eren’s hands and tugged them back hard. Quickly, Eren’s hands moved away from his face, causing Levi to jerk backward so that he laid on the couch. Eren’s body moved forward, hovering above Levi as they both stared at each other before bursting into laughter.

“Would you be my boyfriend?” Levi asked after the laughter died down a bit, a small smile on his lips as he caressed Eren’s cheek.

Eren leaned into Levi’s touch. “It would be an honor to be your boyfriend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did they... did they just... become boyfriends???


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! Thank you for roughly 400 kudos! I can't believe the amount of support that this story has gotten. Thank you everyone :) please enjoy!

They were going to keep their relationship down low, but for different reasons. Eren liked the aspect of being a special agent with a secret, while Levi just didn’t want to deal with everyone’s questions. They were already asked too many when it was confirmed that they were going to go to the Gala together.

It had been a few days since they started dating. The Gala was getting closer. There weren’t too many changes in their lifestyles for the time being, besides Eren putting his arm around Levi’s shoulder more and Levi leaning up against Eren on the couch. Everything was going at their own pace and it was Gucci. 

One day, they decided to spend dinner time talking about their expectations of being in a relationship at the dinner table.

“None of that ‘learn as it goes on’ shit. I get that I’m going to learn more about you as time progresses, but I also would like to know things I should do and not do,” Levi explained as he picked up a carrot between his chopsticks.

For dinner, Eren made a simple stir fry with vegetables and chicken. They ate it with brown rice, to Levi’s distaste.

“Um, okay,” Eren said as he looked at Levi, resting his elbow on the table while examining his chicken with his chopsticks. “I like a clean place.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Oh!” Eren exclaimed. “I love cuddling. And stuff. Like, holding hands. And words. I like words.”

“Is this that love language thing? Hanji was explaining it to me one day and had me take that online test,” Levi remembered. “You mean words of affirmation and physical touch then.”

Eren nodded. “I think in terms of giving, I’m acts of service and words. Well, maybe more towards the service than words, cause words are hard. But I think I’m decent with them when it counts. What’s yours?”

“I like physical touch and I do acts of service. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m shit with words,” Levi said before eating his carrot. 

“Do you like it when I press my finger against your cheek?”

“That is not what I mean by me liking physical touch.”

“Okay, but at least eat your rice.”

“I would generally be okay with your healthy dishes, but I draw the line at brown rice. You’re not going to maintain this brown rice thing for long.”

“Fucking eat it.”

They talked a little bit more after that. What to do when they were both upset. What to do when they were sad. What topics were sensitive for them to talk about.

After they finished dinner and cleaning up, they showered (separately) and changed into their pajamas before sitting in the living room. Levi sat on one side of the couch reading a book while Eren sat on the other side, deciding to pick up his sketchbook after a hiatus with the intention of practicing drawing eyes. 

Eren eyed the outline of Levi’s face as Levi turned a page in his book before placing his head on his palm, his arm on the armrest of the couch. As much as he wanted to draw Levi, he simply could not draw people to save his life. Eren wasn’t the type of person to watch videos for tutorials, but yet he swallowed his pride to ask Jean how to draw people once. 

But not even Jean could help Eren. It had been a while though, so perhaps Eren would be better. That is if he asked Jean again. But he didn’t want to deal with a bragging horse any time soon.

Captain made his way to Levi’s lap, squirming to fit between Levi’s chest and his book. Levi glanced down at the cat for a bit before giving him some room. From Eren’s perspective, it looked like Captain was reading with Levi. He quickly grabbed his phone to take a quick picture before putting away his phone to stare at his blank page.

Eren figured that even if he kept his relationship secret, people would be bound to figure it out eventually. Armin would use his insane deduction skills, along with Erwin. Hanji would probably annoy either himself or Levi into confessing. Jean would probably bother Armin, and Marco would let Jean do all the work. Marco may not actively pry, but he wouldn’t hesitate to listen in on the tea. 

The brunet glanced over at Levi, who rested his chin on top of Captain’s head. Levi wouldn’t try to avoid any questions, but he wouldn’t push for it either. He was probably just letting things happen as they go. 

Eren smiled to himself. He was actually in a relationship with the one and only Levi Ackerman. The man who he thought was unattainable because of how close to perfection he has. 

He giggled a bit, causing Levi to look up from his book and throw him a glance.

“What’s funny, brat?”

“Just happy,” Eren smiled. 

He placed down his sketchbook and pencil on the coffee table before making his way over to the other side of the couch. Captain jumped off of Levi’s lap and made his way to the other side by climbing over Eren’s head. The brunet groaned at the paws on his body before resting his head on Levi’s lap. Levi placed his bookmark in his book before closing it, placing it on the side table before he looked down at Eren.

“Hi,” Eren grinned as Levi brushed his fingers through his head. 

“Are you a cat?” Levi asked.

“Do I look like a cat?” Eren rolled his eyes as he stared at his boyfriend.

“You sure act like one,” Levi murmured. “Getting on my lap and doing nothing but stare at me.”

Levi glanced over at Eren’s sketchbook. “You literally didn’t draw anything.”

“I zoned out!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Levi chuckled before falling into a comfortable silence. He twirled Eren’s hair between his fingers.

Eren stared at Levi’s face, consciously controlling his breathing to keep it even. He’d never imagine that he would be resting on Levi’s lap and staring at him shamelessly. Then again, there were many things happening at the moment that he couldn’t believe.

He found himself raising his fingers up to Levi’s chin, tracing the outlines as Levi’s breath hitched. Eren gently moved Levi’s head back as he sat up, positioning himself so that he was sitting right next to him. Levi turned his head so that he was facing Eren. 

“What are you thinking about?” Levi asked, placing his hand on Eren’s thigh.

Eren smiled. “You.”

He then leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against the older man’s forehead. After a few seconds, he moved back to see Levi’s face. Levi’s eyes were wide and his lips were opened ajar. It was their first kiss overall.

After a few moments of silence, Eren started fidgeting. Levi had not changed his expression, and Eren swore he didn’t see Levi blink.

“Should I have not done that?” 

Levi blinked before slightly tightening his grip on Eren’s thigh. “No, well, like, I like it! Don’t worry. I was just… wow.”

“Wow?” Eren questioned.

Levi nodded, a small blush tinting his cheeks. “Wow.”

They looked at each other for a bit more before chuckling. 

“Aw. Look, Captain. Levi’s acting all cute and sh- Ow!” Eren winched as he rubbed his arm. 

Levi smirked. “I don’t feel sorry about that.”

Eren rolled his eyes before wrapping his arms around Levi’s arm and snuggling to his side, resting his head on Levi’s shoulder. Levi leaned his head against Eren’s, taking in the smell of Eren’s shampoo.

“We have to pick up our stuff from Jude tomorrow,” Levi said.

“Mmm,” Eren responded, rubbing his head against Levi’s shoulder.

“Um,” Levi started. “Do you want to go out for dinner afterward?”

Eren adjusted his body so that his legs were over Levi’s lap, still holding onto his arm. He looked at Levi’s face.

“Like…” Eren started before feeling his face heat up. “...a date?”

“Yeah,” Levi said, looking at Eren’s legs as he took his free arm and placed it over them. “The other day, you were craving burgers. So I was thinking after we pick up the stuff, we get burgers, go on a nice walk, and then grab a cinnamon roll for you at Gramps’.”

Eren chuckled at Levi’s endearment for Papa Arlet. “Sounds like a plan.”

The next day, Eren came home to Levi laying on the couch with his book in hand. Despite the book being held in a position for reading, Levi was asleep. He chuckled as Captain made his way to him, circling around his legs. Eren picked up the black cat and placed him on his shoulders as he placed his bag next to the couch before sitting down on the floor.

Levi stirred a bit before slowly opening his eyes to Eren and Captain staring at him.

“Hello, handsome,” Eren whispered as he grabbed Levi’s free hand to squeeze.

“Hi,” Levi responded as he squeezed Eren’s hand before letting go and sitting up. He marked the last page he was reading before placing his book on the side table. 

Eren took the opportunity to move next to Levi, grabbing the older man’s body to put between his legs. Levi’s shoulder bumped against Eren’s chest. Then, Eren adjusted their position so that Eren’s back was against the armrest of the couch. His legs were straightened with Levi in the middle.

Levi looked at their position before looking up at Eren. “Are we cuddling?”

Eren nodded. “Yes.”

Levi looked around more before he moved himself a bit. He rested his head on Eren’s shoulder, grabbing Eren’s left hand with both of his hands before snuggling closer to the man.

“...I like it,” Levi murmured, pressing his face against Eren’s neck.

“Yay,” whispered Eren as he rested his cheek on top of Levi’s head.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Levi reminded Eren about the suit pick up. After negotiating, they cuddled more for 15 more minutes before Eren had to gently push Levi off of him. Levi threatened to kick Eren but begrudgingly got off his boyfriend anyway to head out.

Captain meowed at them as they left before sitting on the middle of the couch.

They arrived at the shopping center in Eren’s car because Levi refused to park his car there.

“The likelihood of someone scratching my baby is too high for me,” Levi grumbled as they stepped into the store.

Jude was talking to a customer, lifting his hand up in acknowledgment before resuming his conversation. Eren and Levi nodded at him as they walked around aimlessly. 

After a few minutes, the employee caught up with the duo.

“Welcome back! If you guys wait at the counter, I’ll bring the tuxedos to you,” Jude said before excusing himself. Levi and Eren made their way to the register.

“The Gala is in two days,” Eren said. “Can you believe that?”

“It’s coming up. Are you excited?”

Eren nodded. “I can’t wait to look at everyone dressed up nice, especially you.”

He grabbed Levi’s hand and beamed. “And the food is always so good. There’s a chocolate fountain this time!”

Levi chuckled as he rubbed his thumb against Eren’s hand. A clear of the throat was heard on the side and they turned to the source. Jude was holding up two suit bags with a smirk on his face.

“Are you gentlemen sure you aren’t together?” Jude asked as he placed the suits down on the counter. “I’m sorry if I make you both uncomfortable, but it’s very hard to not believe so.”

Eren chuckled, squeezing Levi’s hand. “We actually got together the same day we came earlier this week.”

Jude’s eyes perked up. “That’s quite endearing. You two did seem to complement each other perfectly.”

Eren shyly smiled. “That’s really nice of you.”

“Thank you,” Levi followed up. 

Jude smiled as he nodded and had them do some paperwork. “Do you want to try them on?”

“I’ll try it on, but Levi can’t look,” Eren said, glancing at his boyfriend. “It’s a surprise.”

“Then I’ll do the same,” Levi said.

Jude shoved them both in their own dressing rooms, letting them try out their tuxedos. Levi finished first, peeking his head out to make sure that Eren was still in the dressing room before stepping out.

“You peek and I’ll shove your head against a wall,” Levi called out as he walked out.

“Aye, Captain,” Eren replied, laughing.

Jude chuckled a bit as he looked at the tuxedo. “Anything feel uncomfortable? Everything seems fine.”

Levi shook his head. “Everything is fine.”

He then glanced back at the dressing room where Eren was before motioning Jude to come closer.

“Be honest,” Levi whispered when Jude reached him. “How does my butt look?”

Jude blinked a few times before stepping back as Levi turned to have his back face the older man.

“I’d like to think it looks fine,” Jude said. 

Levi looked at the mirrors displayed nearby, examining his ass as he turned at different angles. “I thought so too.”

He then cleared his voice. “Thank you very much, Jude. I am very happy with how it turned out.”

Jude smiled as Levi walked back into the dressing room. As soon as Levi stepped into the room, Eren peeked his head out. 

“Don’t come out,” Eren called out as he made his way to Jude.

“Wouldn’t want to anyway,” Levi replied. 

“Everything fits perfectly!” cheered the brunet, ignoring Levi’s comment as he looked at himself in the mirrors. He then lowered his voice a bit. “And these slacks make my butt look nice.”

Jude couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “I’m glad that the tuxedo checks off everything on your list.”

Eren grinned widely as he nodded, looking at himself once more before making his way back to the dressing room. Jude smiled as he watched Eren go back, satisfied with the reaction of both men. 

After changing back into their original clothes and promising Jude that they’d come back with pictures, Levi and Eren made their way to a new diner that recently opened near their apartment. They both joked about feeding each other fries like a couple if they went back to the diner they went to the day they got their piercings and had the same waitress.

Eren parked the car smoothly, turning the engine off before looking over at Levi.

“Ready?” Eren asked. 

“I’m starving,” Levi said as he opened the passenger door, wasting no time to leave the car. Eren chuckled as he got out of his car.

They made their way into the restaurant, impressed by how quickly they were seated. A teenager came by to welcome them, giving them menus and taking their drink orders for them.

“I want the biggest burger they have,” Eren said, skimming through the menu. “And I want to order fries and onion rings.”

“That’s a lot,” commented Levi as he looked through the menu. “I’m in.”

When their waiter came back with their waters, Eren and Levi were ready to order. Eren ordered the colossal burger, the burger with the most toppings with a side of fries. Levi got a burger with mushrooms and bacon with a side of fries. They also ordered the largest order of onion rings.

“I am so hungry,” Eren stated as their waiter left. “Was it just me, or did we not pack enough for lunch today?”

Levi agreed. “I ended up going to Erwin’s office to eat some cookies from his stash.”

“Erwin has a cookie stash?”

“More like a snack stash. His office is fairly spacious. You know, perks of being the head of the department and stuff. And he has this fake plant that also serves as storage. I ate his honey barbeque chips too. The kettle-cooked ones.”

“Oooh,” Eren replied. “I love those chips. I love chips. I love potatoes, really. And other crunchy things.”

“But you won’t eat raw broccoli,” Levi said.

“That’s different. You won’t eat raw broccoli either.”

“Because it’s fucking broccoli.”

“Do you want to see a picture of my boys and I with some potatoes?”

“You’re going to show it to me anyway.”

Eren grinned as he took out his phone to pull up his camera roll. “Sasha bought 30 pounds of potatoes one time in college and we decided to take a picture.”

He pulled up the photo before handing his phone to Levi. Levi grabbed it with one hand and grabbed Eren’s hand with another, looking at the photo with a weird expression on his face. He scrunched his nose.

“This gives me douche vibes,” Levi commented. “You and Jean have your middle fingers up. And Connie is pretending to stroke some sort of imaginary beard on his face? And who is the blond guy? He just has his arms crossed but his smirk is very… confident.”

“Oh, that’s Reiner,” Eren identified. “Gotta love him.”

“Armin looks like a decent person. He has that standard peace sign while holding a potato. And Marco. He looks cheerful. Very wholesome smile. And who is that tall guy? He looks like he could stomp Connie.”

“That’s Bertolt. He’s Reiner’s boyfriend. They’ve been together since high school actually. I haven’t seen them in a while, but they’re both in business. Bert works in the same company as Jean, but Reiner works with their partner company,” Eren explained as he grabbed his phone back from Levi.

“For some reason, I feel like Hanji would get along with your friend group,” Levi said.

Eren nodded. “I’m like… pretty sure she has met everyone.”

“Must’ve been chaotic.”

“Of course.”

The onion rings came out first. To both of their delights, the rings were exceptionally crunchy. The house special sauce that came with them was delicious too; Eren had to order some more sauce.

“Do you think I can make a sauce like this?” Eren asked before generously dipping his onion ring in the sauce.

Levi eyed Eren’s dip. “No.”

“Thank you for your support.”

Their burgers came and Eren wanted to cry at how big his burger was. It was almost taller than the length of his hand. The burgers also came with a side of the house special sauce.

“Would you ever go vegan with me?” Eren asked after as he eyed his burger before taking a big bite.

“You’re asking me this as we eat burgers,” Levi stated.

Eren nodded.

“Maybe for a few days at a time,” Levi said before eating his own burger. He sighed at the juiciness of the patty, along with the great addition of the vegetables and the remarkable cheese.

The fries were just as delicious as the onion rings. Despite the crispy exterior, the inside was soft and Levi swore he saw Eren tear up as he dipped the fries in the sauce.

Most of the dinner was spent in silence as they finished their meals, a few comments about the dish here and there. When they finished, they both went to the restroom and washed their hands before coming back to the table, where the waiter handed them the check. Eren started to pull out his wallet, but Levi stopped him.

“I planned this shit, so I’m paying. Pay for the next date,” Levi said as he handed his card to the waiter and almost pushed him away from Eren. 

Eren smiled as he placed his wallet away. 

After taking care of the bill and driving back to the apartment to drop the car and their tuxedos off, Eren and Levi went on a little walk to their favorite cafe bookstore. 

“I really do forget that the Gramps has a bookstore too,” Levi said.

Eren nodded. “Armin is an avid reader and loves literature. I feel like you would like it.”

“Because I teach English and literature? How stereotypical of you.”

“Am I wrong?”

“No.”

The brunet grinned as he glanced at the man. “We can walk around that part of the cafe if you want.”

Levi nodded as they reached their destination. Papa Arlet waved at them before taking a customer’s order at the cashier. They walked over to the back and turned right, where the many shelves waited for them. Levi liked how the bookstore was at a secure location, almost hidden from the restaurant. He spotted a few tables and comfy chairs in the far corner.

Eren followed Levi around, watching him pull out books one at a time to read the short summaries before either putting them away or holding onto them. By the end of their little adventure, Levi had three books he wanted to purchase. 

There was a separate cashier aside from the restaurant one, where a friendly woman scanned Levi’s purchases for him. Afterward, they went over to Papa Arlet, who was thankfully not talking to any customers.

“Hello!” Papa Arlet greeted. “What brings you here today?”

“A cinnamon roll,” Eren replied. 

The elder rolled his eyes. “Of course. And what about you, Levi?”

Levi scanned the displays before looking back at the man. “I’ll take a recommendation.”

Papa Arlet nodded before grabbing a large cinnamon roll for Eren and popping it in the toaster for a bit. While waiting for Eren’s roll, Papa Arlet grabbed a large scone.

He handed it to Levi. “This is a chamomile lavender scone. Inside the dough are actual lavender flowers and dried chamomile. Best eaten with tea.”

“Are you trying to get me to buy some tea?”

“Is it working?”

“Of course it is. I’ll take whatever you recommend.”

“Earl Grey, then,” Papa Arlet said with a twinkle in his eye. He grabbed Eren’s cinnamon roll while another worker took care of Levi’s tea. Levi got on his toes to watch the other man prepare his tea. Eren chuckled at the sight.

When the tea was placed in front of Levi and Eren got his cinnamon roll, Levi handed Papa Arlet his card. Eren thanked Levi with a huge smile before taking a similarly huge bite of his cinnamon roll.

“I’ll see you both at the Gala on Saturday?” Papa Arlet smiled. 

“Of course!” Eren cheered with his mouth stuffed, earning a disgusted look from Levi.

Papa Arlet chuckled, waving at them as they left. “Take care, boys.”

“See ya!” Eren hollered as Levi nodded back. They left the apartment and chose to walk around Garrison park. The sun was about to set, and they saw the jazz performers spicing it up nearby. They stood there, listening to the trumpet feature as Levi sipped on his tea before taking a bite of his scone, which was pure deliciousness. 

He then glanced over at Eren. “Do you ever get anything else at the bakery that's not a cinnamon roll?”

Eren nodded. “Of course. But I love cinnamon rolls too much. So I get them maybe 75% of the time. Can I have some tea, please?”

Levi handed Eren his cup as he nommed on his scone more. He moved the bag of books from his elbow to his hand. Before he knew it, his scone was gone. He looked over at Eren, who finished his cinnamon roll. Eren handed Levi back the cup.

After feeling the drastic change of weight of the cup, Levi glared at his boyfriend.

“You basically finished my tea.”

“There’s still some left! Look!”

Levi opened the lid to see roughly a tablespoon of tea left. He looked back at Eren, who was sheepishly smiling at him.

“I’ll make tea when we get back?”

“I hate you.”

Eren laughed as they turned to head back home. Levi talked about the books that he got, amazed that he found some first edition books at the store. He learned from Eren that Papa Arlet allowed people to donate books for him to resell at an affordable price.

“His prices are so good,” Levi remarked. “With the high-quality food, the immaculate book collection, and the atmosphere… Gramps sure has outdone himself.”

“He really has,” Eren agreed. 

They finally reached their apartment building, entering the lobby and punching in the code before heading inside the elevator. When they arrived at their floor, Levi stepped out when he felt something grasp his hand. He looked down at his hand being held by a tan hand before looking at the culprit.

Eren only grinned as they continued to walk to the apartment. To Levi’s disappointment, Eren let go of his hand to unlock the door. When he opened the door, Captain greeted them with a meow before heading back to the sofa. Levi immediately made a beeline to his shower.

After his shower, Eren hopped in. While waiting for Eren, Levi sat down next to Captain, looking at the stack of books he left on the kitchen table. He wasn’t even finished with the book he was currently reading, but his heart yearned for more books.

Levi got up to give Captain his dinner, earning a purr from the cat. While Captain ate, Levi laid across the couch, staring at the ceiling. 

Was this his life now? Going home after a nice date with his boyfriend. Hearing his boyfriend make himself clean in the shower. Waiting for their cat to finish eating before petting him.

The raven-haired man sighed and smiled.

Eren made his way into the living room with a white t-shirt and green pajama pants. He saw Levi on the couch and immediately walked over to lay on top of him.

Levi grunted at the action before adjusting their position and wrapping his arms around Eren’s waist. He decided to ignore Eren’s damp hair, but eventually got annoyed with water dripping on his neck.

“Alright,” Levi said as he tapped Eren’s back. “Get up. You’re wet.”

Eren groaned as he slowly got up. They moved so that they were sitting next to each other, legs intertwined in an oddly comfortable position. Captain decided to hop on their legs, making himself comfortable.

“Now we can’t move our legs,” Levi complained. 

“We can ask him to move.”

“He’s a cat.”

“Captain, can you choose a better location please?” Eren asked. Captain replied with wide eyes, alternating between Eren and Levi. 

“...Fuck, you’re right.”

“I’m always right.”

Levi learned against Eren’s shoulder, choosing to close his eyes. Eren looked over at Levi’s black hair before smiling.

“Today was nice. Thank you,” Eren said before placing a gentle kiss on Levi’s hair.

“Glad you enjoyed it,” Levi mumbled. “I did too.”

They sat on the couch in silence, enjoying each other’s presence. Captain eventually left the couch to lay on the coffee table, to their pleasure. Levi shifted his leg into a better position, taking in Eren’s heat when a knock was heard at the front door.

“Are you expecting anyone?” Eren asked. He felt Levi shake his head.

“I’ll get it,” Levi said as he got up, lazily walking over to the door. 

He opened the door ajar to see blue eyes piercing at him.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

Erwin smiled. “Wanted to drop by and say hi.”

Armin popped up from behind. “Hi, Levi!”

Levi glanced at both of them before closing the door.

“I bought some cookies from Armin’s grandfather’s place,” Erwin called out.

The door opened again. Erwin took the invitation and walked in, watching Levi sit back next to Eren.

“Erwin! Armin!” Eren cheered as he got up. “What brings you here at this time?”

“We saw each other at Pops’ place and then decided to drop by,” Armin said as Eren went up to him. “Hope we aren’t interrupting anything.”

“No, we were just chilling,” replied Eren as he turned back to see Erwin hand Levi the cookies before sitting down next to him. 

Eren and Armin sat down on the floor to the right of the couch, leaning against the recliner. Captain pranced over to Armin before nudging his hand with his nose. Armin scratched behind the cat’s ear in response as they talked about Captain’s weight gain. 

“I think you guys should let Armin and I stay over for the night,” Erwin said to Levi. “We should all call off for tomorrow.”

“You have class tomorrow,” Levi replied.

“Which I canceled,” Erwin said. “Because I can. Let this be a fun night. Part of the build-up to the Gala.”

“Well, that didn’t take much convincing,” Levi said as he pulled out his phone. “Wasn't feeling class anyway. I’ll shoot out an email.”

“Eren,” Levi called out as he typed on his phone. “Are you cool with these shitheads staying over?”

Eren paused his conversation and nodded. “It’s fine with me. I planned on working from home tomorrow anyway since I didn’t have much planned for tomorrow.”

Armin smirked. “Excellent.”

Eren and Levi eyed Armin before shaking it off.

“Do you need to borrow some clothes?” Eren asked the two blonds.

Erwin shook his head. “I drove here and always keep an overnight bag in my car.”

“I planned on taking a few of your clothes,” Armin said. Eren nodded.

“I want you shitheads to shower first,” Levi said. “Erwin, go get your bag, and Armin, go hop in the shower.”

While Erwin went out to grab his bag and Armin started his shower, Levi made Eren help him clean up the apartment. 

“How much do you want to bet that Erwin and Armin are going to find out?” Levi asked after they finished cleaning. They were sitting on the couch, both facing each other at the ends. Levi started eating the cookies Erwin brought. They were chocolate chip cookies.

“I have a feeling that they are suspecting it already…” Eren pondered. “The timing is very weird.”

Levi shrugged. “They brought cookies so I don’t really care.”

“You’re very simple-minded.”

“Only at times like this.”

Armin walked into the living room in time for Erwin to hop in the shower. While Erwin showered, Levi decided to go work on a few things in his room for his class to make up for the class cancelation. Armin and Eren went to the kitchen to make three cups of hot chocolate and one cup of white hot chocolate.

“Is that oat milk?” Armin asked as he watched Eren heat up some milk, catching a glimpse of the carton label. 

Eren nodded. “Levi brought it home the other day.”

“Is he lactose intolerant?”

“I don’t think so. I think he just wanted to try something new. Plus, I think his life would be ruined otherwise,” Eren joked.

Armin laughed. “Seems you two get along very well.”

“We do,” Eren chuckled. “He’s great.”

“How long has it been?” Armin asked as he leaned against Eren.

“About a few days,” Eren replied as he prepared the mugs.

“Aha!” Armin shouted, causing Eren to jump. “So you two are dating!”

Eren let out a yip before glaring at the blond. “You almost made me mess up.”

“And you didn’t tell me when it happened?!”

“I wanted to be a special agent with a secret!” Eren exclaimed.

“What are you, five?”

“No.”

Armin only grinned in response, earning an eye roll from the other. He explained to Eren that Erwin had a weird gut feeling that something changed between Eren and Levi and he just had to go see it for himself. Armin, being the curious person that he was, decided to tag along. Erwin also expressed that he personally wanted to see the interaction of Levi being in a relationship, therefore proposing a sleepover. Armin was shocked at how easily Levi allowed it.

“I was kind of surprised too,” Eren said. “But I honestly didn’t mind. Levi’s in a good mood.”

“Ooh,” Armin cooed as he leaned more against Eren. “Do enlighten me.”

And so he did. Eren talked about their adventure to the outlets, Jude, the burger place, Papa Arlet’s, and the small walk they went on. He even mentioned how they started dating. Armin listened intently, his heart warm at the thought of his best friend finally finding someone.

Meanwhile, Erwin walked into Levi’s room.

“Hello, Levi,” Erwin greeted. “I am clean.”

He sat down on Levi’s bed, near Levi’s feet, watching as Levi typed on his laptop. After the raven-haired man closed his laptop and placed it on his dresser, he made eye contact with blue eyes.

“You know.”

“It was a feeling,” Erwin smirked.

Levi rolled his eyes. “You’re goddamn lucky I’m in a good mood.”

Erwin chuckled. “I’m happy for you, you know.”

He received a grunt in response as he decided to get up and head to the main area to join the other two. 

“Erwin,” Levi called out as he got out of bed.

Erwin turned around. “Yes?”

“What’s the deal with you and Arlet?”

“Friends,” Erwin replied with a smile. He then walked out with Levi following behind, suspicious.

Waiting on the couch were Armin and Eren, chatting about Armin’s attire to the Gala while Captain received a belly scratch from both of them. When Armin saw Levi, he smiled and moved down to the floor. Captain jerked up at the loss of a hand and immediately followed Armin to the floor. Levi immediately made his way next to Armin’s previous spot. 

Erwin sat down next to Armin, eyeing the duo on the couch who grabbed their mugs from the coffee table.

“Cute,” he complimented. Eren blushed while Levi rolled his eyes but looked up at Eren.

“You know, Levi,” Armin spoke. “I’ve solved a lot of homicides.”

Levi squinted his eyes at the blond. “What’s your point?”

“With all the flaws that I’ve seen in them, I know how to carry out a successful murder,” Armin said, grinning. “So if you hurt Eren…”

“I don’t doubt your abilities,” Levi replied. “But consider the fact that I have Erwin and Hanji.”

“Actually,” Erwin chimed in. “If you hurt Eren, you have the three of us against you. But if Eren hurts you, I will definitely ruin his life.”

“Thanks,” Eren deadpanned. 

“So we’re all motherfuckers in a living room, dressed in our pajamas with some hot chocolate,” Levi said. “What’s the plan?”

Armin smirked. “We drink."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things I wanted to mention:
> 
> I got Eren and Levi's love languages from this [post](https://attackonfics.tumblr.com/post/622636346220085248/what-do-you-think-everyones-love-language-is-in/) by attackonfics. They also write ErenXReader and LeviXReader stories if that's your cup of tea!
> 
> Out of curiosity, I took the love language test, which you can find [here](https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/). My top three were really close; they were words of affirmation, quality time, and acts of service.
> 
> Has anyone seen season 4? I'm loving it so far. I can't believe the song is in both Spanish and English, lol. Also, I read the manga so if anyone wants to talk about stuff beyond the anime, you can reach my tumblr [here](https://senpaiactually.tumblr.com/). 
> 
> Thank you again!!!


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am in love with Armin Arlet.

Eren and Armin were on a huge sugar high. They consumed about a gallon of hot chocolate each, leaving the fridge with no more milk. Additionally, they had just ordered an extra-large veggie pizza.

Erwin and Levi sat on the couch as they watched the younger men hop in a circle around Captain while waiting for the pizza.

“Were we like this?” Levi asked, sipping some water. He only had two cups of white hot chocolate, switching to water to cleanse his palette.

“They’re only like five years younger than us,” Erwin remarked, still working on his first mug. “But I don’t think so.”

They both watched as Armin and Eren laughed. Levi couldn’t help but faintly smile at the child-like atmosphere. Eren’s smile lit up the whole entire room as he hopped, his bangs flopping around as he said something to Armin.

“So…” drawled out Erwin. He took a long sip of his hot chocolate, which was more lukewarm while eyeing Levi. Levi only glared back in response.

“How far have you two gotten?”

“You’re almost as bad as Hanji,” Levi complained.

“At least I’m not drooling,” Erwin pointed out.

Levi shivered. He watched as Eren and Armin followed Captain around, eventually heading into Eren’s room.

“Nothing has happened really,” Levi answered. “We’re taking things slow.”

Erwin hummed as he took another sip of his drink. “What about when the Gala comes around?”

Levi raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?”

“The after-party,” Erwin said, a smile creeping upon his face. “Do you both plan on drinking? What if you guys get so plastered you guys do the do?”

Erwin watched as Levi thought carefully of the situation.

“I don’t really plan on getting drunk,” Levi said. “So if Eren gets drunk, I can take care of him.”

“But what if he slowly takes off his clothes?” Erwin teased. “He’s aching for you, begging you to touch-“

“I really want to throw you off the balcony right now,” interrupted Levi. 

Erwin laughed as he patted Levi’s head, earning a scowl in return.

Levi swatted Erwin’s hand away. “To be honest, I think we’re both too awkward to initiate anything. And you never know, that may happen in a non-sober situation. But if the situation comes that Eren starts initiating things drunk, I’ll probably stop him cause… yeah.”

“A gentleman,” Erwin said.

“I try.”

While Erwin and Levi were talking, Eren and Armin were laying in bed, staring at the ceiling with Captain between them.

“Are you excited about your relationship with Levi?” Armin asked.

Eren’s hand found its way to Captain’s fur. “I am. I’m also really fucking nervous.”

“Nervous?” Armin laughed. “Eren Jaeger?”

“It has been ages since I’ve been in a relationship, and my past relations lasted like half a year, tops,” Eren rambled. “And I’d be damned if my relationship with Levi lasts that long. And we are literally roommates. Oh, my God. We are roommates.”

“Yes.”

“Dude, what will happen if he leaves me?” Eren sat up, looking at Armin with a panicked look. “The place is going to be very tense. Dude, he’s going to break my heart, and then he’ll probably take Captain, and I’ll be back to living alone and being a single pringle.”

“You’ll be fine,” Armin said as he sat up.

Eren stared at Armin. 

“I’m serious, you’ll be fine,” Armin said. “For starters, you will always bounce back from the bad things. I know you. It may take a lot of time and tears, but you’ll be fine. Secondly, I have a feeling Levi’s going to be here for a while.”

Eren blinked a few times before quickly crashing into Armin, giving him a huge hug. Captain quickly moved out of the way before he got tackled too.

“Your intuition makes me happy,” Eren mumbled against Armin’s shoulder. “It’s so accurate.”

Armin laughed as he patted Eren’s back because he knew that Eren was right.

“So when are you guys gonna fuck?” Armin asked, earning a gasp from Eren as he pulled himself away and smacked Armin’s shoulder.

“We haven’t even had our first lip kiss yet!”

“Lip kiss?”

Eren looked at Captain, who walked over to the door and laid down in front of it. “I like… gave him a forehead kiss one time. But no lips!”

“Do you feel nothing sexual for Mr. Ackerman? Professor Ackerman?” Armin teased. “Remember when you had that teacher-student fantasy for the longest time ever?”

“Armin!” Eren yelled. He was about to tackle Armin out of the bed when they both heard Levi call out that their pizza arrived. The blond got up and scooted Captain away so that he could open the door. Armin then gleefully ran out of the room with Captain prancing behind. Eren rolled his eyes as he left the bed and made his way to the living room.

When he arrived, Armin was already digging into his first slice. The blond was sitting on the floor in front of the TV. The smell of pizza was in the air, coming from the box opened on the coffee table. Erwin had joined Armin on the floor, grabbing a slice of pizza for himself. 

“Today’s garlic crust is super good,” Armin said. Erwin nodded in agreement. 

Eren’s stomach grumbled in response as he walked up to the box and grabbed a slice for himself. He sat down next to Levi and took a bite, sighing heavenly.

He glanced over at his boyfriend, who eyed the pizza.

“Do you want a bite?” Eren asked. “I’ll feed you so that your hands don’t get dirty.”

Levi nodded as Eren held his pizza in front of him. He leaned forward while Eren held the pizza slice with one hand and carefully cupped his other hand under the pizza slice to prevent any crumbs from falling. Taking a small bite, Levi took in the medley of vegetables on the garlic bread.

As Levi chewed, Eren smiled. “Do you want me to feed you a whole slice?”

Levi nodded.

Armin laughed. “So fucking whipped, Eren. Imagine if Hanji were here.”

“I think Hanji would hate it that we kept this a secret,” Eren chuckled. “But I can’t wait to see their reaction in a few days.”

“Be careful,” Levi warned, earning a laugh from the group.

They decided to watch an episode of a food show while eating pizza. After the pizza was all eaten, Levi made everyone help wipe the tables and vacuum the floor for any potential crumbs that Erwin may have dropped. The blond heads sat down on the couch, petting Captain while engrossed in their own conversation. 

Meanwhile, Levi and Eren were in the kitchen, cleaning the mugs. Well, more like Levi cleaned the mugs and Eren sat on the counter. 

“I’m really happy with today,” Eren said as he smiled, looking at the time on the stove. It was just past midnight. 

Levi placed the mugs on the drying rack before washing his hands. “I’m glad.”

Eren hopped off the counter and placed his hand on Levi’s back. “You were a huge part of that happiness.”

Levi turned around and flung a few water droplets on Eren from his hands, earning a laugh from the brunet. He dried his hands before looking up at the smiling sunshine.

“So how is the sleeping situation going?” Levi asked.

Eren shrugged before walking over to the blonds. “Where do you guys want to sleep tonight?”

Armin yawned, the sugar crash hitting him. “I don’t really care.”

“You better brush your teeth before sleeping,” Levi grunted. “Everyone, to the bathroom. Now.”

Levi made everyone cram inside the bathroom, finding Armin a spare toothbrush. They all stood in the room quietly, staring at each other in the mirror while only hearing the sounds of brushing. No one dared to finish brushing until they saw Levi spit first. After that, it was a line of spitting and rinsing - aside from Armin, who used the small floss that Eren got from the dentist but never opened.

They moved the coffee table so that there was an open space in front of the television. After some discussion, Eren grabbed a few blankets and pillows from the closet to put on the floor. Erwin and Armin set up the sleeping area while Levi and Eren stepped back to let them do whatever. Levi leaned against Eren’s arm, crossing his arms as he felt his eyes drooping a little bit. 

Eren noticed the slight weight on his arm. “Tired?”

Levi nodded. “I’m hoping to sleep for at least five hours tonight.”

Erwin and Armin completed the setup. Pillows were placed against the couch, with a few extras scattered around the blankets. One large blanket was used as a “mattress,” while four blankets were folded neatly. Levi decided to use one of the blankets as an extra cushion for the makeshift mattress, leaving everyone with three blankets to share. Eren pulled up a Hallmark Christmas movie as everyone made themselves comfortable. 

Eren and Armin made themselves comfortable in the middle of the layout. Erwin sat on Armin’s left and Levi on Eren’s right. They overlapped the blankets so that one was over Eren and Armin, another over Armin and Erwin, and the last one over Levi and Eren. The middle blanket was more occupied by Armin since Armin got cold easily in contrast to Eren. Captain made himself comfortable on Armin’s lap, adding more cuddle power towards him.

The movie started playing, with only small comments made among everyone. Eren had already placed his arm around Levi as he talked about how the Christmas decorations looked so real on the cake.

“It’s a movie, so they probably placed real decorations on that cake,” Armin pointed out. 

“I’d still eat it,” Eren said.

Eventually, Erwin had repositioned himself to where he was no longer sitting up but instead laying down asleep. He slept on his side, facing Armin as the blanket covered his mouth. Levi also had fallen asleep on Eren’s shoulder. It was just Armin and Eren up, along with Captain, finishing up the movie.

Eren scoffed. “Old people, am I right?”

Armin rolled his eyes as he turned off the television. It was roughly 3 in the morning. They were both starting to feel the fatigue even more. Armin could’ve fallen asleep earlier, but he had to finish the movie. He started to lay down, moving Captain a bit so that Captain was between them. 

“Good night, Eren,” Armin whispered, poking Eren’s thigh.

“Night, Arm,” Eren whispered back. 

Armin fell asleep right away. Eren gently tried to adjust his position to get both him and Levi properly resting flat on the makeshift mattress. Levi squirmed a bit before he flung his right arm over Eren’s torso and grabbed Eren’s right leg with his own. His head rested underneath Eren’s chin.

Eren smiled to himself as he fell asleep. It had been a great day.

When morning came, Eren rolled over subconsciously to snuggle with Levi, only to grab nothing. Pouting to himself, he sat up and saw that no one was on the floor with him. As he rubbed his eyes, he sniffed the air. The smell of sausage filled up the main area. 

Eren turned to see Armin, Erwin, and Levi in the kitchen. Levi was making some sausages while Armin seemed to be making some hash browns. The brunet got up and stretched for a bit before joining everyone. 

“Sleeping beauty finally woke up,” Armin laughed as he sipped on some coffee. “Good morning.” 

Erwin nodded at Eren as Eren waved. Eren made his way to Levi, checking that it was only 8 in the morning. He gently placed his hand on Levi’s lower back. 

“Did you sleep well?” Eren asked.

“My back is still kind of sore since we all did sleep on the floor, but I think I got around five hours,” Levi said as he flipped the sausages. “Brush your teeth. Your breath smells.”

“Yes, sir,” Eren chuckled as he walked to the bathroom. 

When he finished brushing his teeth and doing his skincare routine, Eren walked back out to the main area to see that Erwin was putting away the blankets and pillows in the closet. He thanked the older man before looking at the dining table to see four plates of eggs, sausages, and hash browns. There were two cups of coffee and two cups of tea. He glanced over to see Captain eating out of his bowl.

“Looks amazing, guys,” Eren said as he sat down next to Levi, across from Armin. He eyed the sausages.

“I accidentally overcooked the sausages,” Levi grumbled as he sipped his tea. 

Eren placed his hand on Levi’s thigh. “It’s fine, they don’t look too bad anyway. Thank you for making breakfast. And thanks, Armin, for the hash browns.”

“I do make good hash browns,” Armin said before he dug in. 

There was a brief moment when everyone quietly ate. It was only when everyone was half-way finished with their plates when Erwin asked what everyone wanted to do for the rest of the day. Levi stated that he didn’t care, and Erwin concurred. Which left Armin and Eren to plan for the day.

“We could go roller skating?” Armin suggested.

Eren shook his head. “Nah, I like ice skating more. But I also don’t feel like skating today.”

“Eren, don’t you have work to do?” Levi asked, swirling his tea in his mug.

“...Oh, yeah,” Eren remembered. He quickly finished his food before getting up to place his dish away. Levi said that he would do it, letting Eren quickly grab his laptop and work so that he could hang out with everyone by lunchtime. 

Erwin and Armin left to go back to their own places while Levi, after working on his own work for a bit, went to go work out at the gym. Eren sat at the dining table, checking a few emails while Captain slept on his lap. Hanji had sent out one, reminding the company of the Gala tomorrow, followed by the afterparty at a nearby club.

He closed the Gala email and started replying to a different one. The Gala was going to be different this time since he would have a date. Levi, to be precise. 

Half of his friend group would also be seeing Eren in a relationship for the first time in a while too. And then word will spread around, and Mikasa was going to find out. And he knew that Mikasa would not enjoy finding out that Eren found someone through a dumbass like Jean.

Eren knew that he had to grow some balls and just go for it. He took out his phone, pulled up his favorite contacts, and clicked on Mikasa’s name. Then, he clicked on the speaker icon, placing his phone next to his laptop as he briefly read over his email before sending it as the phone rang.

 _“Hi,”_ answered a soft voice. Eren smiled, it being a while since he had actually called his sister.

“Hey, Mika. What’s up with you?”

 _“Paperwork,”_ Mikasa replied, a hint of annoyance going unnoticed by Eren.

“Having the time of your life then?” Eren joked. They both shared a laugh.

 _“Of course,”_ Mikasa giggled. _“Heard the Gala is tomorrow."_

Eren gulped. Mikasa strangely knew how to lead a conversation in the proper direction without even realizing it.

“Yeah,” Eren said. “I got a tux this time.”

_“Interesting. Send pics.”_

“Of course,” Eren said. He paused for a bit, wondering how to phrase the next thing he wanted to say.

He heard a sigh from his phone. _“Spill it. I feel like you called for a reason. It doesn’t feel like you called just to say hi."_

“A-ah, yes,” Eren replied, scratching his head. “Uh… You know Levi?”

_“Levi, your roommate. Levi, the guy you have a crush on. Head over heels. Whipped. Is there more I need to add?”_

Eren groaned. The nonchalance of Mikasa was surely something.

“Well… he’s going to be my date,” Eren slowly said. “To the Gala.”

_“Are you guys fucking?”_

“What?!” Eren exclaimed. “No, it’s not like that! We’re dating…”

A small pause settled itself in the conversation for a bit. Eren felt his back sweat a bit, waiting for Mikasa to say something.

Then, he heard a giggle come out of the phone. He sat there, waiting for Mikasa to say something to ease his confusion.

 _“I could sense the tension from the phone,”_ Mikasa laughed. _"I'm sorry, but I just felt like giving a dramatic pause.”_

“Mikasa!” Eren yelled. “Don’t do that!”

Mikasa continued to laugh while Eren yelled at her more before she calmed down. 

_“Okay, I’ll just stop now,”_ Mikasa said before taking a huge breath.

Eren sighed in relief.

 _“But,”_ Mikasa started in a stern voice. _“We should meet next Saturday. You, me, Levi. And I’d like to throw Armin in the mix. He’s good at interrogation.”_

“He already threatened Levi last night,” Eren groaned. “Him and Erwin, Levi’s friend, barged in and slept over.”

 _“I see,”_ Mikasa replied. _“Well, I’ll see you then! Have fun at the Gala! I’ll be calling you on Sunday. Love you!”_

And then she hung up.

“...Love you, too,” Eren weakly replied. He pushed his laptop forward a bit to rest his head on the table, feeling the weight of Captain leave his lap.

After a few seconds of contemplating his life, Eren opened up his laptop and finished all of his work for the day in 15 minutes. He then put his laptop away and headed over to his room, glancing at Captain on the way, who was laying in front of the balcony door.

He plopped on his bed, letting his head sink into the pillow. He had about 30 minutes until Levi got back from his work out, and about two hours until he had to meet Armin and Erwin at Papa Arlet's place. Eren thanked himself for planning his work out perfectly to have as much minimal work as he could on Fridays.

His mind drifted off to Armin asking him about when he and Levi would do the do. Eren sighed. He didn’t want any actual intercourse on Saturday. It was too soon for him. Besides, he didn’t plan on getting terribly wasted. Eren didn’t want their first kiss or anything to happen when they were intoxicated. He wanted it to be memorable. And he didn’t trust his super drunk self at all.

Eren thought about how he looked in his tuxedo and knew that Levi probably looked ten times hotter in his. With how Eren’s slacks accented his butt, he couldn’t wait to see Levi’s. Besides, Eren had always liked someone in a nice tux. To see Levi in his would be a blessing.

The room started to feel hot, so Eren decided to take off his shirt. He laid down on his bed, trying to imagine Levi’s attire. Of course, it would probably not do any justice to how he would actually look, but a man can dream?

Levi got a black vest. He imagined that the Gala would probably feel hot at some point, with the number of people attending. Levi would probably take off his jacket, exposing how nicely his vest and shirt showed off his figure. His muscles probably could be outlined through his dress shirt, flexing as he moved his arms around.

Eren’s hand trailed down to his lower region, lightly brushing against his boxers. His cock stiffened a bit at the contact.

He always loved how Levi looked. His personality was fairly unique, but it was so close to perfect for Eren. His visuals were nothing to complain about too. The glare that Levi held when he looked at Eren held many emotions, but Eren so desperately wanted to see arousal in them. Directly at him, specifically.

Eren palmed himself, applying slight pressure as he shuddered slightly. He moved his palm slightly, his breath slowly becoming heavier. He was getting harder, wanting to take off his pants and boxers right away. But Eren had always loved a slow build-up. 

Levi would probably be good at teasing. The raven-haired man would constantly make fun of Eren with an amusing smile. But to see the man face to face with his crotch, smirking at Eren, was a beautiful sight that he desired.

Eren slowly took off his pants, leaving himself in just boxers. His cock was swollen, constrained against his green boxers. He pressed against it further, letting out a small gasp as he imagined Levi’s hot breath against his cock. 

Levi would probably question Eren, asking him if he was sure that he wanted it. If he wanted Eren to see him suck his dick. 

And Eren would have no shame begging.

Eren took off his boxers, letting his cock spring out as the tip touched his lower stomach, already dripping with some precum. He could add some lube on his hand, but Eren didn’t want to make the effort to reach over to his nightstand and open the drawer. Instead, he opted to stroke himself slowly, feeling how rough it was until deciding that yes, he actually did want lube. He groaned as he leaned over to open his drawer, taking out a small plastic bottle. He opened it and squeezed some lube on the middle of his hand before closing the bottle and putting it away.

He shuddered as he wrapped his hand around his cock, feeling the cool liquid. Moving his hand slowly, Eren coated his cock, feeling how smooth his strokes were. He started at the bottom before moving up, tugging at his head. He let out a hiss, taking his sweet time. 

Eren closed his eyes, imagining his own hand to be Levi’s. Levi, in his tuxedo. Jacket off, vest off, bow tie loosened, and a few buttons popped up. Levi, moving up to kiss Eren’s neck as he quickened his pace.

His own hand started to mirror his imagination, squeezing his cock occasionally as he bit his lower lip. Eren felt his stomach coil a bit before deciding to slow down. He didn't want to come yet, even though he knew that it would be soon. It had been a while since he had chosen to pleasure himself. 

He moved his hand up and down, occasionally pressing his thumb against the tip. Eren buckled his hips, deciding that fuck it, he wanted to cum. 

Slowly, the brunet increased his pace. He let out a quiet moan, allowing himself to take in how good he felt. But Eren knew that it would feel ten times better if Levi were with him. Levi sucking him, Levi fucking him, him fucking Levi. It didn’t matter. Eren just wanted Levi.

Eren could feel himself being close, the old, but familiar, feeling creeping up. 

“Levi…” whimpered Eren as he continued to stroke himself, tightening his grip as he sped up his hand movements. Oh, how he wanted Levi so much.

 _“Cum,”_ Levi’s voice suddenly said in Eren’s mind. With that, Eren let out a moan as he quickened his pace, letting himself cum all over his hand as his hips jerked up. He stroked himself to completion, embracing the high.

After catching his breath (and noting how fast he came), Eren sat up and grabbed a few tissues cleaning himself up. He then got off his bed and waddled to the door, opening it slightly to peek out. For a moment, he stayed silent to listen for any rustling. After determining that he was home alone, he quickly made his way to the bathroom naked to wash up. 

Eren then quickly went back to his room, changing into outside clothes for lunch, which was a tan shirt and jeans. He casually walked out of his room to see Captain sitting in his hallway, staring at him.

“You didn’t see anything,” Eren said to the cat before walking past him. Captain meowed.

Eren made his way to the couch, laying across it as he pulled out his phone to watch some food videos. He was interrupted by the unlocking of the front door, opened by Levi in his sweaty gloriousness. 

“Good work out?” Eren asked, eyeing Levi’s plump biceps.

Levi nodded as he made a beeline to the shower.

Eren chuckled as he continued to watch videos on his phone. When Levi came out, Eren placed his phone away and walked up to the gentleman in the kitchen. He took in the sight of Levi in a white shirt and maroon pants.

“Hi,” Levi said.

“Hi,” Eren said before pulling him in for a hug. 

Levi blinked for a bit, feeling Eren wrap his arms around his body before mirroring his actions. Eren sighed as he took in the scent of Levi’s shampoo.

“Are you sniffing my hair?” Levi asked.

“Yeah,” Eren replied. “Smells good.”

“Brat,” Levi murmured as he pulled away slightly to see Eren’s face. “We’re meeting them at the cafe.”

“Okay,” Eren smiled, looking at Levi’s face before embarrassment rushed over him. 

Not long ago, he had jerked off to Levi.

“Are you okay?” Levi asked, placing his hand on Eren’s forehead. “You look kind of red.”

“Yeah,” Eren sheepishly replied. “No worries.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep. Let’s go to the cafe early. I want to get a good spot,” Eren said as he dragged Levi out of the door.

The four men sat at Papa Arlet’s restaurant for a few hours, socializing and eating. Papa Arlet had them stay to taste some new dishes that he was creating, which all received great feedback. They then took a walk around the park, casually talking about whatever came to mind, whether it be about Erwin’s attempt at making an oversized sweater (going fairly well, according to him) or Armin contemplating about if he should get a haircut (the answer was yes, according to Eren).

They were at the park for another few hours, ending their time there by squeezing on a bench together and staring at the ducks.

For dinner, it was highly requested by Eren that they go back to Papa Arlet’s since Eren was craving some risotto. They all retreated to their main place, earning a laugh from the owner himself as they walked through the doors.

They were there for a few hours, staying extra to help Papa Arlet clean up for closing. Papa Arlet gave everyone free baked treats as a thank you, which didn’t do much for Armin since he always got free baked goods. Armin got a lemon blueberry muffin, Erwin got a cranberry orange scone, Levi got a vanilla scone, and Eren got an apple turnover to go against Levi’s claim that he was just going to get a cinnamon roll.

Fast forwarding, Eren and Levi were showered and sitting on the couch. Levi was reading one of his books while Eren finally got around to practicing his eye drawings. Captain sat between the two, kneeling on the pillow.

Eren opted for calm jazz music playing in the background. After drawing two eyes, he placed down his sketchbook on the coffee table and moved Captain so that he could take Captain’s place next to Levi.

Levi glanced at Eren before placing his bookmark and putting his book on the side table. 

“Are you busy next weekend?” Eren asked.

“No, why?”

Eren placed his forehead on Levi’s shoulder. “My sister wants to meet you.”

“Mikasa?”

“Yeah. Is that okay?”

Levi ruffled Eren’s hair. “No problem.”

“I feel anxious about it,” mumbled Eren. 

Levi shifted so that he could face Eren. Eren lifted his head off as Levi moved. 

“Don’t be, she can’t stop me from dating you.”

“But she’s… intimidating.”

“And I’m not?”

Eren paused for a bit. “You have a point. But still. I just want my boyfriend and my sister to get along. Oh, Armin will also apparently be tagging along, although I’m not sure if Mikasa informed him.”

“We were literally with him today.”

“I didn’t remember then!” Eren said. “Mikasa has also never really liked any of my exes, and she always had this weird intuition about when the relationship will end. And I’m afraid she’s gonn-”

Eren stopped talking as Levi grabbed his hand and kissed his knuckles.

“Eren,” Levi said softly. “It’s going to be okay.”

And somehow, Eren felt better about the situation. He crawled on top of Levi, despite being taller than him. Levi spread his legs a bit to let Eren lay on him more comfortably. Eren placed his chin on Levi’s shoulder as he wrapped his arms around the man. 

Levi couldn’t help the small smile that crept on his face. Eren was truly adorable. 

Eren was also making his body feel uncomfortable.

"Get up, my back feels weird," Levi said, patting Eren's back.

Eren groaned as he moved. Levi watched the disappointment pass through Eren's eyes as they looked at him. 

"Come on," Levi said. He got up, turned off the music, and made his way to his room. He could hear Eren's footsteps following. Captain was probably tagging along too.

Levi laid down in bed and patted the space next to him when Eren came in. Captain immediately made his way to where Levi patted.

"No, not you!" Levi said as he moved Captain to the foot of the bed. Eren laughed as he sat down next to Levi where the cat previously was.

"You're sleeping here tonight," Levi said.

Eren froze for a bit. "I am?"

"Yes," Levi said before he paused. "Wait, is that okay?"

"U-uh, yeah," Eren said, scratching his head. "It's not like we haven't slept with each other before. We've fallen asleep next to each other multiple times. But I guess this feels kind of different because this is intentional. And I don't count last night since Armin and Erwin were there!"

Levi chuckled at Eren as he laid down, propping his head on his pillow. "You just seemed disappointed when I asked you to get off and this was the first thing that popped in my mind to make up for that. If you feel that it's a little fast for you, let me know."

Eren shook his head. "I don't really care if something seems fast or not. It's more about what I'm comfortable with."

And with a small pause, Eren looked down at his hands. "I'm comfortable sleeping with you."

Levi felt his face heat up. Eren was just too cute for him.

"Like, snoring and stuff!" Eren exclaimed. "Not like... sex... I want to wait..."

Levi grabbed Eren's hand with one hand. Eren looked up at Levi, who motioned him to come closer. 

"Not a problem. We're going at our own pace, remember?" Levi said as Eren laid next to him, face to face.

Eren looked into Levi's greyish-blue eyes. Beautiful clouds reflecting on ocean eyes. 

"Not good with words, my ass," Eren blurted out, earning a laugh from Levi. He quickly joined in. Laughter was infectious.

"Maybe I'm learning from you," Levi smirked, pushing some of Eren's hair behind his ear.

"Oh, shucks."

Levi rolled his eyes as he leaned forward to kiss Eren's forehead.

"Can't wait to see how beautiful you'll look tomorrow," Levi whispered. "You're always beautiful, but this is a different type of beautiful."

"Stoppp," Eren chuckled as he ducked his head down. "You're embarrassing me."

"Because I'm fucking amazing," Levi proclaimed, causing Eren to laugh again.

Eren and Levi looked at each other before glancing at the foot of the bed, where Captain made himself comfortable just next to Eren's feet.

"We should sleep," Levi said. He leaned back a bit to turn off the lamp on his nightstand before looking at Eren, shining underneath the moonlight from the window.

Slowly, their hands found each other underneath the blanket. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This is my last update for 2020. Thank you to everyone for your support. I truly appreciate each and every one of you. Your comments have been so kind and I hope you can further enjoy this story. 
> 
> Next chapter will be the start of the Gala :) ah!!
> 
> 2020 has been something. I hope that 2021 brings everyone good vibes. That being said, I'll see everyone in January! Happy holidays :)


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello first chapter of 2021 LEGGO

The sun shined through the blindfolds, not quite warming up the room, but bringing a subtle light instead.

Captain was the first to open his eyes. He yawned and stretched out his body, tail up in the air. After his daily stretch, the cat looked at the head of the bed. Carefully, he walked around a tall, slender lump.

Eren was fast asleep, mouth opened ajar with a bit of drool creeping out. He laid flat on his back, legs spread out in a small V with his left arm slightly above Levi’s head. Levi was turned away from Eren’s exposed armpit, sleeping on his left side with his hands in front of him. 

The cat carefully made his way from Eren’s side of the bed to Levi’s, sniffing Eren’s armpit before quickly heading over to Levi. He curled up against the older man’s chest.

Levi stirred around a bit before slowly opening his eyes. Not processing his view, he felt a brush of fur against his chest. He gave a little rub to Captain’s back before letting out a yawn. 

After blinking slowly a few times, Levi opened his eyes properly to see Captain and his closet door. The cat purred as Levi scratched behind his ears. Levi wrapped Captain around with his arms and together, they turned so that Levi was laying on his other side, face-to-face with Eren.

Or, more like Eren’s armpit.

Levi wrinkled his nose in disgust as he looked at the hairy thing. He let go of Captain, moving Eren’s arm down so that he didn’t have to look at it anymore. When he removed Eren’s armpit from the sight, Levi embraced his view.

He lightly touched Eren’s cheek, causing Eren to move a bit. Levi quickly removed his hand, not wanting to wake Eren up from his slumber. 

Eren then shifted a bit, his hands moving a bit until they found one of Levi’s hands. Levi covered his mouth, basking in the cuteness that Eren was displaying in the morning. 

Levi decided to finally get up to go to the bathroom. He lifted the blanket up and left the bed, walking over with Captain trailing behind. Opening the bathroom door, he let Captain in, knowing that it was useless to keep the cat out. He had given up his privacy to the cat long ago after hearing Captain mewl at the door one time frantically.

Captain sat down on the edge of the bath, watching Levi’s every move. From the toilet to the sink, he saw everything. 

“Why are animals like that?” Levi mumbled to the cat after he rinsed. “You guys just stare at us with no shame. Do you work for the government? Do you need anything?”

A meow echoed in the bathroom.

He sighed before washing his face. Eren had gotten him into the whole skincare routine thing, and he already could see results. It was simple for the morning: cleanser, vitamin C serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. 

After finishing everything up, he walked out of the bathroom, turning off the lights on the way before peeking into his room, where Eren was still sleeping. He then made his way to the kitchen to prepare some Earl Grey for himself. Captain trailed along until he was next to his food bowl.

Levi grabbed the tea bag before he placed it in the mug. He lifted the kettle up from the stove and went to go refill it with water before placing it back to boil. While the water prepared itself for boiling, Levi gave Captain his breakfast. By the time he poured the food into the bowl, the kettle started whistling. Levi walked over and turned off the stove, taking the kettle off to pour the water into the mug.

He carefully grabbed his mug, unfazed by the heat while chuckling to himself. It always amazed Eren how he was able to hold the mug as soon as he poured boiling water into it. Levi made his way back to his room to see that Eren had not moved at all. He took a sip of his tea before placing it down on the nightstand. Carefully, he sat down on his bed, sitting against the headboard.

As soon as he did so, Eren scooted himself closer to Levi’s leg, resting his head against Levi’s thigh. Levi ruffled the brown hair before grabbing his mug and taking a long sip of tea. 

After taking a sip and placing his mug down, Levi let out a soft yawn, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. Captain came into the room, looking at the two men before walking over to the bed and jumping right on Eren’s face.

Captain lost his footing on Eren’s face as Levi chuckled to himself, watching everything. Eventually, the cat made his way behind Eren, curling up and facing the window.

Eren moved around before letting out a huge yawn and looking up to see Levi.

“Morning,” he mumbled.

“Good morning,” Levi said. “Go brush your teeth.”

“Sleep,” Eren said as he hugged Levi’s leg.

Levi let him sleep for a bit, perhaps for around 15 minutes before his leg fell asleep too. He tapped on Eren’s head.

“Up,” commanded Levi. 

Eren turned away from Levi’s leg before resuming his sleep. Levi sighed and got off the bed, walking (or more like wobbling) around the room to wake up his leg before he kicked Eren’s butt. The other man groaned as he scooted himself further from Levi, adamant about staying in bed.

“I’ll buy you a cinnamon roll if you get up,” Levi bribed.

Eren sat up right away, eyes half-closed. “Up.”

Levi grabbed his mug and took a long sip out of it as he watched Eren leave the bed and make his way to the bathroom with Captain following him. When Eren left, he placed his mug back on the nightstand and made his bed. After that, he changed into a white t-shirt and dark red joggers before grabbing his mug and heading over to the living room to sit and wait for Eren.

Eventually, Eren walked out in grey sweatpants and a pink t-shirt. He didn’t bother brushing his hair, leaving it as a nice nest for birds to fly to. Levi watched as Eren walked over to him, laying his head on Levi’s lap as he wrapped his arms around his waist.

“Are you not going to brush your hair?” Levi asked, brushing his fingers through the hairy mess.

“You’re doing it for me anyway,” Eren mumbled with his eyes closed, enjoying the touch as he snuggled closer to Levi’s stomach. 

“Want to head out now?” Levi asked.

“No.”

“We’re going anyway. Get up,” Levi said, flicking Eren’s forehead. Eren let out a loud groan in response as he slowly let go of Levi’s waist and sat up. 

They made it to Papa Arlet’s cafe, Eren being more awake as soon as they stepped through the doors. Saturday mornings were slightly more busy than usual, but still okay enough for Levi to embrace the atmosphere of the coffee machine sounds and light jazz music.

Luckily, the counter wasn’t busy, so Papa Arlet got a chance to talk to the gentlemen for a bit.

“Today’s the day!” He cheered. “Are you both excited?”

“Always excited to dress up,” Eren grinned. “You know what I want.”

The old man nodded as he looked at Levi. “Would you like another recommendation?”

“Yeah,” Levi replied, watching as Papa Arlet grabbed the cinnamon roll and warmed it up.

“Are you excited?” Eren asked.

Papa Arlet handed Eren the cinnamon roll before grabbing Levi something. “Of course. The chocolate fountain is there. And Levi, here is a brown butter rum cannoli.”

Levi took out his card and handed it to the older man while grabbing the cannoli. Papa Arlet completed the transaction and gave back the card.

“I’m not sure how long I’ll stay there though,” He continued. “But I know I will definitely not be going to the afterparty.”

Eren laughed. “That’s understandable.”

Levi nodded, munching on his cannoli. The delicate taste of the cream with the subtle rum made his tongue happy.

The three continued to talk, with Eren finished with his cinnamon roll long ago. Levi took his sweet time, wanting to savor every bit as he listened to Eren talk about how he already missed Armin’s hashbrowns to Papa Arlet.

“Armin isn’t that bad of a chef,” Papa Arlet chuckled. “But he 100% prefers it when I cook for him.”

“Lazy ass,” Eren said, rolling his eyes. 

They bid a see you later to Papa Arlet when Levi finished his cannoli. Eren chuckled when he saw Levi eye his hand, where the cannoli had been before. He moved his arm to reach Levi’s shoulder and squeezed it before retracting his arm. 

“We can get another cannoli another time if you want,” Eren said.

Levi nodded.

When they got back home, Eren reviewed the whole plan for the rest of the day.

“Okay,” Eren started as he plopped down next to Levi on the couch, putting his arm around him and bringing him closer. 

Levi rested his head against Eren’s shoulder.

“So we should leave at around 4pm. I think Hanji wanted to meet up with a small group of people beforehand. They’re all people you know: Armin, Erwin, Moblit, Horsey, Marco, and Papa Arlet. The actual thing starts at 5:30pm. The afterparty is at 11pm. It’s going to be at some club, and then we can leave whenever. That’s the whole gist of it. Any questions?”

Levi shook his head. “For now, no. I’ll ask as they come to mind.”

“Okay,” Eren said before resting his head against Levi’s. “What do you want to do until then?”

“I want to read for a bit,” replied Levi. “And maybe go on a walk. What do you have in mind?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

While Levi read his book, Eren decided to take a nap. He was unfortunately woken up earlier than he wanted, and he knew that he would be up late, so he figured that he should squeeze in some rest while he can. Eren rested his head on Levi’s lap, facing away from the man as he cuddled Captain in his arms.

Levi played with Eren’s hair with one hand and held his book with the other, only stopping the hair twirling to turn the page. He looked down at the sleeping man and their cat.

The mood, to Levi, felt fairly domestic. But he had no complaints. He never would’ve imagined himself being satisfied with having another person in his presence for more than a day. But times changed. He was very lucky to have a wonderful man snoring on his lap.

Levi only felt a tiny bit bad for waking Eren up early. But only a tiny bit. 

As he turned to the next page, Captain squirmed out of Eren’s grip and jumped off the couch to lay in the recliner. Eren shifted for a bit until he stopped moving, letting out a few soft snores. 

While the sight was adorable to Levi, his thigh felt numb. He desperately wanted to push Eren off, but it would disrupt his sleep.

Levi pushed Eren off anyway. His thigh couldn’t handle it. 

It didn’t matter since Eren didn’t wake up from the movement. Eren simply flopped a bit before repositioning himself. Levi got up before Eren could take his thigh again, ignoring the weird feeling his thigh had. 

They had decided to eat a light lunch so that they could save the majority of their appetite for the night. Eren had expressed vividly that the food was immaculate, and Levi didn’t want his lunch to spoil his appetite. 

Levi peered into the fridge. He immediately identified a few cuts of meat, his cheese, a few veggies, and some whole-wheat tortilla wraps. Grabbing all of those ingredients, including some condiments, he decided to make both him and Eren some wraps.

Putting everything on the counter, Levi opened up two tortillas. He spread some mayonnaise and dijon mustard on them before adding some lettuce, bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, cheddar cheese, honey ham, and turkey. He then decided to toast them both on a pan, pressing on the wraps slowly. After that, he placed each tortilla wrap on a plate. Levi looked in the fridge and grabbed some strawberries to wash. He also grabbed a bag of kettle-cooked potato chips, portioning them out for the both of them on each plate. Then, he cleaned the pan. 

The raven-haired man grabbed each plate in each hand with the bowl of strawberries held against his chest as he headed over to the living room. After he placed the plates and bowl on the coffee table, Levi shook Eren slightly.

“Wake up,” Levi whispered.

Eren didn’t budge.

Levi sighed before hitting Eren’s chest. “Brat, wake the fuck up.”

Eren groaned in response. 

“I made lunch.”

Eren opened one eye to look at the food waiting for him. He then immediately sat up and grabbed one plate to put on his lap before smiling at Levi.

“Thank you,” grinned Eren. 

“No problem,” Levi replied as he took the other plate.

They both started eating, Eren complimenting Levi on toasting the wrap to perfection. Levi was pretty proud of himself too, finishing the wrap faster than Eren before chomping on his chips. 

“So what foods did they have last year?” Levi asked before eating his last potato chip. 

“They were so boujee,” Eren said. “But there was this person going around with spoons. And like you were supposed to eat this thing in one bite. It was like some melon with prosciutto. I had like five of them. And the champagne was amazing. I swear Jean had like five bottles of it.”

“Interesting,” Levi said as he grabbed a strawberry. He chose the biggest one. 

“Did you choose the biggest strawberry?” Eren asked, eyeing the juicy piece in his hand. 

Levi looked at Eren’s empty plate before looking back at his strawberry. “No.”

“That is a lie.”

“What do you want from me?”

“A bite…”

Levi sighed as he looked at Eren, who stared at Eren with wide eyes. Eren almost seemed like he was pouting. Rolling his eyes, Levi flung the strawberry at Eren’s face, but Eren skillfully caught it between his teeth.

With pride, Eren chewed, a small smile on his lips with a bit of juice dripping on the corners. Levi couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight, shaking his head as he grabbed himself another strawberry. 

“So Levi,” started Eren after he finished his juicy strawberry. “How much do you plan on drinking tonight?”

“Um, maybe enough to get tipsy? You?”

“Tipsy. Don’t wanna do anything stupid,” Eren laughed. 

Levi smirked. “I’ll make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”

After finishing the strawberries, Levi decided that he did not want to go out on a walk. He actually wanted Eren to cuddle him. But he didn’t want to initiate it. He wanted Eren to know that he wanted cuddles without him having to say it out loud.

Eren got up to wash the strawberry bowl while Levi made himself comfortable on the couch, laying his whole body on it. He laid down as he watched Eren at the sink. 

After Eren cleaned his hands, he made direct eye contact with Levi. Not breaking the stare, Eren walked over to the couch.

“There is no room for me,” he said.

“There is,” replied Levi.

“Where?”

“Figure it out yourself.”

They continued to stare at each other for a whole minute before Eren decided to lay on top of Levi. He had his arms around Levi’s neck loosely as he placed his head on Levi’s left shoulder. Eren straddled Levi’s lap (not sexually, you nasties) as Levi wrapped his arms around Eren’s waist with a smirk on his face.

So easy.

Levi stroked Eren’s back as Eren talked about he hoped that Hanji would hold back on their liquor intake. One time, Hanji apparently threw up on both Eren and Jean. Eren didn’t want to recreate that moment ever. Even Levi shuddered at the thought. 

Time flew by as they cuddled on the couch. Eventually, it was 2:30pm. Levi wanted to take his time to make sure that he looked clean and crisp. Eren, on the other hand, was already very comfortable, not wanting to move. It took him a pinch on the side to get off Levi with a yelp. They then walked into their own rooms to change as Captain moved from the recliner to the couch.

Eren slipped out of his clothes until he was only in his boxers. He laid out the tuxedo components on his bed, staring at it all. His eyes specifically looked at the bowtie. When he tried on the tuxedo at Jude’s store, Eren didn’t put on a bowtie. In reality, he had no idea how to tie a bowtie. But he’ll worry about that later. 

He could hear Levi turning off the shower as he put on his pants. Eren rubbed his neck as he grabbed his dress shirt, putting it on before buttoning it up. He then put on his suspenders and socks before grabbing his tie and walking out of his room.

“Levi!” yelled out Eren as he opened his door. Levi opened his own door.

“Yeah?”

Eren’s train of thought was suddenly disrupted as he looked at Levi.

Levi had on his black slacks. His hair was still slightly wet from his shower, but it was the fact that the man was shirtless that got to Eren. Some of the water drops from his hair fell down to his toned torso, and Eren held his breath as his eyes trailed down from Levi’s pecs to the curves of his model-like six pack. It dared to even go further to take note of the V-shape near Levi’s c-

“Brat!”

Eren blinked as he jerked up to stand straight. “Yes!”

Levi chuckled. “Did you need something?”

“U-uh,” Eren stammered, looking at his hand instead of Levi. “I can’t tie a bowtie.”

Levi tched before leading him into the bathroom, giving a few seconds for Eren to admire Levi’s arms.

“Okay,” Levi said as he touched Eren’s lower back to push him to the front of the sink. “On your knees.”

Eren quickly turned his head around. “W-what?”

“Get your head out of the gutter,” Levi said. “I’m just helping you do your bowtie since your dumb ass is incapable of doing so. Pay attention.”

Eren’s ears turned red as he turned back to face the mirror, handing Levi the bowtie as he watched Levi lean down.

“First,” Levi whispered. “Put the bowtie over your neck, but it should be uneven.”

The brunet watched as Levi carefully placed the thin part of the bowtie over his neck, making the right side lower than the left. He watched as Levi’s fingers occasionally touched his neck. Eren had to prevent himself from shuddering at the touch.

Levi seemingly moved his lips closer to Eren’s ear. “Then, you cross them and make sure one side goes through the hole and bend the other part. This is kind of hard for me to explain, so look carefully.”

Eren tried to control his breathing as Levi’s fingers moved swiftly, following the assembly of the bow tie. Levi continued to whisper instructions into Eren’s ear, going slowly to ensure Eren was following along. 

“The final step,” Levi said, and Eren swore that the man lowered his voice. “Is to tug the bowtie.”

Levi tugged the bowtie but also tugged it back so that Eren’s back was against Levi’s chest. Eren let out a small gasp as he felt Levi’s chiseled chest. 

He also could not believe that Levi had the audacity to waver his lips against his neck. Even more, Levi softly pressed his lips against Eren’s neck. 

Eren loved a good neck kiss.

He felt Levi slightly suck on his neck and took in the sight that the mirror was providing him. 

It was abruptly stopped as Levi stood up straight and patted Eren’s shoulders. 

“I gotta put on clothes,” Levi said nonchalantly as he walked out of the bathroom. 

“I hate you,” Eren grumbled as he stood back up, rubbing his poor knees.

“No, you don’t,” Levi said as he walked into his room.

Eren rolled his eyes but chuckled to himself as he walked into his own room. He put on his jacket and looked at the 3 small boxes on his nightstand before grabbing them. Heading to the bathroom, Eren fixed his hair, slightly pushing some hair back to the side before opening one of the boxes, revealing some gold cuffs for his shirt at the wrists. He placed them on his wrists before he left the bathroom. He placed the empty box in his room before putting the other ones in his pocket and decided to stand in front of Levi’s door.

He knocked on it a few times.

“Can I come in please?” Eren called out.

“Door’s unlocked,” Levi hollered back.

Eren opened the door to see Levi all dressed up with his jacket hung over his arm. His hair was pushed back with some gel and Levi simply looked flawless. The fact that Levi’s side was facing Eren allowed Eren to see just how well his pants formed around his butt. 

“Your butt looks good,” Eren said with no shame.

Levi turned to look at Eren before walking over to the man, circling him. “Yours too.”

“Before I forget,” Eren said as he pulled out two boxes. He opened one of the boxes before handing it to Levi.

Levi grabbed the box and opened it carefully, revealing a pair of silver cuffs.

“Thought it would be a nice addition, you know?” Eren smiled.

Levi stared at the cuffs before taking them out of the box, placing the box on his nightstand before putting them on. After admiring the silver cuffs, Levi looked up at Eren.

“Thank you,” he said.

“And one more thing!” Eren said as he handed Levi the other box. 

Levi opened the box to see a pair of earrings, both silver and shaped like small stars.

“So,” Eren explained. “We were having a time. You’re the moon and I’m the sun. But you know what else is in the galaxy? The stars. I thought it’d be a cute addition. Matching earrings.”

Levi looked at the earrings before breaking into a small smile. “You’re so cute.”

“Hehe,” Eren said as he nudged the earrings toward Levi. Levi grabbed one earring and replaced his silver stud with the star earring. He placed his other earring away on his nightstand while Eren proceeded to trade out his own earring. After they both got completely dressed, they both went inside the bathroom to take a look at the mirror.

Both Eren and Levi were wearing their jackets, with the difference between their own color scheme and the fact that Levi had his vest showing. Eren took note of a silver watch that was on Levi’s arm, contrasting with his own smartwatch. It made Levi look more classy actually. 

“We look good,” Eren said.

“Really good,” Levi agreed.

“Gotta be careful, someone may take you away from me,” Eren said as he grabbed Levi’s waist and mischievously smiled.

Levi snorted. “As if they could take me away from such a hot piece of ass.”

Eren grinned wider as he squeezed Levi, planting a quick kiss on top of his head before they both started getting ready to leave.

They checked to make sure they had their keys, phones, and wallets. They also had a duffle bag to fit some clothes to change into after the gala. Levi made sure that Captain got a relatively early dinner since they would be back home late. 

It was decided that they would take Levi’s car since it was more suited for the occasion. Eren sighed in happiness as they approached the car in its glory.

“Have I ever told you that I love your car?” asked Eren as he slid his hand against the door, admiring the black coat.

“I swear, you’re into the car more than you’re into me,” Levi joked as he unlocked the car and got in the driver’s seat.

Eren got in the passenger seat and shook his head. “No worries, I’m not going to leave you for a car.”

“Good.”

Levi started the car and placed his hand on the back of Eren’s seat as he turned behind him. Eren stared at his handsome boyfriend as he reversed out of the parking spot to leave the parking deck. 

They made it onto the street. The sun was still shining brightly. Eren watched as Levi swiftly grabbed his sunglasses from the compartment above the rear mirror, using his mouth to unfold the sunglasses before putting them on. Levi could make anything look good.

Eren almost wanted to faint when Levi took his right hand off of the steering wheel to place on Eren's thigh, giving it a small squeeze before resting his hand there.

Levi smiled as Eren gently placed his own hand on top of his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can u guys believe that I've been writing this story for over 7 months and still haven't come up with a name for Papa Arlet's cafe
> 
> I know that I said that the Gala was happening in this chapter, but I started writing and this part was just too long, but I really wanted to include it! But I can 100% guarantee that it'll come in the next one :)
> 
> Happy 2021! I hope good things are coming your way <3


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the longest chapter I've written so far.

“Anyone there yet?”

Eren checked his phone. “Uh, everyone actually.”

Levi and Eren had planned on meeting up with Jean, Marco, Armin, Erwin, Papa Arlet, Moblit, and Hanji so that they could take pictures and head to the Gala together, per Hanji’s request. The Gala actually took place at a hotel that had a huge space dedicated to extravagant events. They were going to meet up in the lobby. With the hotel being very fancy, Haji wanted to utilize the sceneries to their advantage.

“I’m really bad at posing for pictures,” Levi said. “You can’t just force me to smile on command.”

“You don’t even smile,” Eren joked, earning a light punch on his side. “But don’t worry, I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

Levi hummed in response as he drove. He placed his hand back down on Eren’s thigh as Eren looked out the window. The sky was getting warm, and the weather was getting colder faster than any other year, which excited Eren. It meant that Autumn was coming around, which didn’t make too much sense since it was the end of August, and it generally got cool near the end of September. Eren wasn’t complaining though.

The hotel was coming into view as Levi drove. Eren directed him next to the parking deck, where an employee stopped them to ask if they wanted to drop off their car or have someone drive their car over.

Levi immediately said that he could do it, earning a chuckle from Eren as the employee waved them off. The raven-haired man followed the signs until he spotted an empty space next to a familiar car.

“At least it’s not Hanji’s car,” Levi mumbled as he pulled in. “Erwin at least knows how to drive safely if we ignore his occasional road rage.”

“Erwin has road rage?” Eren asked when Levi parked the car.

“Yeah,” Levi responded. “It’s quite terrifying.”

They both got out of the car, the clacks of their shoes echoing in the garage as they walked to the lobby. Eren tugged on his bowtie a bit as he spotted the light shining from the doors, with people occasionally going in and out. 

“OH MY GOD!”

Eren and Levi flinched as Hanji crashed into them, arms around their necks. 

“Get the fuck off,” Levi said as he pushed Hanji back.

He watched as Moblit walked over, laughing. “You can’t be surprised by her actions.”

“She needs to back off,” Levi sneered as he glared at Hanji.

Eren took the time to notice Hanji and Moblit. Moblit was wearing a navy blue tuxedo with silver accents while Hanji wore a navy blue dress with a silver necklace and dangling earrings. 

“I don’t remember the last time I saw you in a dress,” Eren said. “But you both look good!”

"Probably last year's Gala," Hanji smiled. "Thanks!"

Moblit smiled. “Thank you. You and Levi look fine yourselves.”

“I wanted to not wear pants!” Hanji cheered as she twirled around. “For now, at least. I have another outfit change later before we party it up at the club!”

“Why are you so loud?” Levi groaned as he looked at a few bystanders who gave the brunette a glance.

Hanji ignored Levi’s question and dashed over to a corner in the spacious lobby where everyone else was watching the interaction. Moblit, Levi, and Eren sighed to themselves as they scrolled over.

“Well, well, well,” Jean said as he stood up from his seat next to Marco. “Look who’s here!”

Eren laughed as Jean patted his shoulder. Jean wore a standard tuxedo, but with the jacket as maroon instead of black. He peeked behind Jean to see Marco wearing a black tuxedo with a bowtie matching Jean’s jacket. 

“I see you got the colored jacket,” Eren replied. “Always had to show off, did you?”

Jean stretched out his arms. “What can I say? I love me some bold colors?”

“Do hot pink next year.”

“In your fucking dreams, Jaeger.”

Marco stood up and walked to Levi, extending his hand. “You both look nice tonight.”

“As do you two,” replied Levi as he firmly shook Marco’s hand. As Marco headed over to join Jean and Eren, Levi walked over to Armin, Erwin, and Papa Arlet.

“Well, good evening!” Papa Arlet greeted, wearing a standard black and white tuxedo. “It’s lovely to see everyone altogether dressed up.”

Levi nodded at the elder. “Good evening.”

He looked at Erwin, who nodded at Levi. Erwin was wearing a standard tuxedo, nothing flashy, although Levi could sniff out a light cologne scent. Armin stood next to Levi, also in a standard tuxedo with a red bowtie. 

“Armin!” Eren shouted as he threw his arm around the blond. “Your hair!”

Armin’s hair no longer rested slightly to the bottom of his chin but instead was cut fairly short. His ears were being shown off.

“Thanks,” Armin laughed as he ran his fingers through his hair. “My head feels super light, but I really like it.”

“It’ll be easier to manage too,” Papa Arlet said as he ruffled Armin’s hair.

“Gramps!”

Everyone laughed as Armin fixed up his hair. Right after that, Hanji grabbed Armin’s arm and dragged him to the window, right next to a table with a few flowers on it. 

“Pictures!” cheered Hanji as she adjusted Armin’s posture. She was sure to let the sun that was slowly going down shine slightly against Armin’s face. Armin questioningly looked at Hanji as she pulled out a camera. 

Hanji held the camera to her face. “Golden hour!”

“My boy, you look so stiff,” Papa Arlet said as he walked up to Armin.

Armin sheepishly laughed. “I’m so bad at this kind of stuff. You know that.”

As the two relatives talked, Hanji took the opportunity to take some candid photos. Everyone else stood behind Hanji.

“This is honestly an endearing sight,” Marco commented. “Like bonding time between grandfather and grandson.”

“The photos are going to turn out great,” Moblit said. “Hanji dragged me around the past few days to work on her camera skills. She has been practicing and that practice has paid off.”

Eren smirked as he bumped against Levi lightly. “You hear that? You’re going to look great in these photos.”

Levi only scoffed as he rolled his eyes, but took in the amount of focus that Hanji had at the moment.

“Shitwin, have you ever seen this fucker be so quiet?”

Erwin chuckled. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen her like this.”

For roughly 45 minutes, Hanji took various shots of everyone. Each person had a solo shot and several group photos were taken, such as Eren, Jean, Marco, and Armin. Any time Hanji was in a photo, Marco became the photographer. 

While Hanji took pictures of Jean and Macro on a fancy couch, Levi and Eren stood near the window that Armin had his first photoshoot at.

“I’m kind of curious as to what foods will be there,” Eren wondered as he stood, looking through the window.

Levi leaned against the wall right next to the window with his arms crossed, looking up at Eren. “Hungry?”

Eren nodded his head as he moved himself to Levi’s left, leaning against the wall sideways. He shoved his hands in his pocket as he looked at his boyfriend. The brunet couldn’t help but smile as the sun’s rays illuminated behind his view of Levi. 

Levi was aimlessly looking out to the lobby until he turned his head to look at shimmering green eyes. 

“Hey,” Eren said, a soft smile still on his face.

“Hi,” Levi said, his lips curling up slightly.

“Did I ever tell you that you look dashing today?” Eren questioned, a twinkle in his eye.

“Dashing?” Levi repeated. 

“Dashing, my dear,” Eren repeated, his smile turning into a cheesy grin.

“Keep going! Make that bitch smile!”

“Hanji, you say that and you break the mood!”

Eren and Levi both turned to see Hanji snapping photos on her camera with Jean scolding her for yelling. Everyone around them chuckled as Levi rolled his eyes. 

“I’m going to kill her for calling me a bitch,” grumbled Levi.

“I mean, can you blame her? Your smile is lovely,” complimented Eren, who watched Levi’s ears turn slightly red.

"You knew about Hanji taking the photos, didn't you?"

"I did say I had some tricks up my sleeves," Eren grinned.

“You talk too much,” Levi mumbled as he started to walk away from the window. Eren chuckled as he followed the older man.

Everyone gathered around a waiting area. Papa Arlet and Armin sat down on a loveseat with Erwin standing behind them. Jean, Marco, Eren, and Moblit squeezed themselves on another couch while Levi stood next to Hanji.

“The photos will be delivered to you all sometime tomorrow!” Hanji said. “A lot of great photos were taken, folks, thanks to myself and Marco! But now that our little photo shoot is over, let’s go to the main event!”

She immediately ran as fast as she could with her heels to the check-in area with Moblit quickly following. Jean and Marco laughed as they dashed along too. Everyone else decided to walk to the giant room where the Gala was being held. 

“Hanji is very energetic,” Papa Arlet commented as they reached the check-in line. “It’s almost tiring to watch her.”

“She is indeed,” Erwin replied. “But it’s one of her finer qualities too.”

Eren nodded. “Her enthusiasm boosts the morale of our team.”

“She’s loud,” Levi followed up.

Papa Arlet chuckled as they moved up the line. “She helped organize this Gala, right?”

“Yeah,” Eren answered. “Her and a bunch of higher-ups did it. It’s essentially for research funding, although they decided to donate a portion of the money towards the local homeless shelters too.”

“That’s right,” Papa Arlet said. “It’s all coming back to me. She told me about this when we all had dinner at the cafe.”

They reached the front of the line, confirming their arrival before being led down the hall, where two wooden doors were opened and faint classical music echoed. Eren felt himself getting excited as they continued to walk.

“Don’t get separated from me,” Levi said suddenly, loud enough for only Eren to hear. 

Eren turned to the man, who was staring straight. He smiled and wrapped one arm around Levi to give him a slight squeeze on the shoulder.

“No worries…” Eren said, before leaning down so that he could whisper into Levi’s ear. “...Babe.”

Levi immediately smacked Eren’s arm as Eren let out a laugh.

His laughter ceased as they walked into the ballroom, admiring the scenery. The classic glass chandeliers hung from the high ceilings as people dressed in their best walked underneath. Around the room were accents of flowers from Marco’s family shop. The theme was a pastel palette. At the stage was a quartet playing an arrangement of Mozart compositions with a small crowd gathering nearby to enjoy the music.

Eren looked around to see round tables scattered around the room, enough to seat up to ten people. There was a huge amount of space in front of the stage where people gathered to socialize, champagne glasses in almost everyone’s hands. Servers walked around, handing people more champagne and taking away the glasses of those who already were wobbling a bit. 

Green eyes glanced at each server, hunting for food. They immediately spotted a server walking towards them.

“Good evening,” the server greeted the group. “May I interest you in a mini wonton bowl with chopped shrimp?”

“Absolutely,” Eren said as he grabbed a cup before eagerly eating. Everyone else followed suit, embracing the cool shrimp mixture as the server smiled and left. 

“I love food,” Armin said after finishing his bite. “I need more.”

“Let’s find everyone else first,” Erwin said. “I think Hanji managed to put us all at the same table.”

They continued to walk around before quickly spotting Hanji’s frantic waving at a table with a great view of the stage and of the open space.

Everyone sat down at their assigned spots, indicated by a paper placeholder with fancy calligraphy written on it. Eren and Levi sat next to each other, with Eren on Levi’s left. Next to Eren sat Hanji, then Moblit, followed by Marco, Jean, Papa Arlet, Armin, and finally Erwin.

“Okay everyone,” Hanji said. “Now that we know where our spots are, go wherever your heart desires! Eren, you and I are going to go greet some people though.”

Everyone stood up and scattered around. Hanji went ahead first with Moblit by her side. Eren stood up and turned to wait for Levi.

“You may have to talk for a bit, but mainly for the introduction. So don’t worry,” Eren said as he placed his hand on Levi’s lower back. “Give me a subtle signal if you’re uncomfortable.”

“Thanks,” Levi replied as he looked up at Eren.

Eren smiled before turning. He stopped a server to grab two champagne glasses, handing one over to Levi. 

“It’s really good,” Eren assured. "It's always good every year."

Levi looked at the light golden blonde liquid in the flute, swirling it around and taking in the light floral scent before sipping it. The slight fruity taste took over his palette as Levi sipped the champagne. He immediately took another sip after his first one.

“You really weren’t wrong,” Levi commented. “I’ll have to be careful.”

Eren chuckled. “Come on.”

They walked up to Hanji and Moblit chatting with one of the directors of the company.

“I’m pleased with how everything is goi- Eren!” The director lightened up more as he spotted Eren and Levi.

“Hi, Pixis,” Eren greeted. “This is Levi, my date for the evening.”

Levi eyed Hanji, who was excitedly whispering to Moblit about how Eren called Levi his date. It then came to his realization that no one else knew about his new relationship, other than Erwin and Armin (and perhaps Papa Arlet; the man always seems to know something). 

“Pleasure to meet you. I am Levi Ackerman,” Levi smoothly said.

The other man laughed. “Dot Pixis, but everyone calls me Pixis. Our company has been doing so well with our research progression for accessible and affordable healthcare. I’m so happy to see everyone enjoying themselves after working so hard. I certainly hope you enjoy your time here, Levi.”

“He likes the champagne,” Eren said, raising his glass. “Your taste is immaculate.”

Pixis laughed. “You know me, Eren. I always have a way with booze. How is the champagne, Levi?”

“Excellent,” Levi responded. “It really is delicious.”

“Glad to hear it!” Pixis said enthusiastically.

Pixis continued to engage in conversation with Hanji and Eren, with Moblit and Levi occasionally chiming in. The old man eventually left to grab more booze.

“I want more hors d'oeuvres,” Eren said. He looked around before walking up to a server, grabbing Levi’s wrist with Hanji and Moblit following.

“This is just a cracker with marinated bell peppers and goat cheese on top,” the server said as everyone grabbed a serving. “Hope you all enjoy it!”

Eren sighed heavenly as he finished his bite. “Hanji, your caterers never fail to please me.”

Hanji nodded. “We had to make sure the servers enforced the ‘one serving’ at a time rule. Otherwise, we would run out quickly. But I feel like I played myself because I want ten more of these.”

“We can look around for more,” Moblit said. “Until dinner time, that is.”

Levi widened his eyes as he looked at Eren. “I completely forgot about dinner.”

Eren glanced at his watch. “We have about 30 minutes until we sit down for dinner.”

“I see another server,” Levi said, grabbing Eren’s wrist and dragging him. Hanji and Moblit followed.

“They’re so cute!” Hanji whispered to Moblit. “I need them to start dating soon.”

Moblit chuckled. 

They ended up meeting with everyone else, who were taking the small bites off of the server’s plate. 

“Hi!” Armin greeted. “You guys have to try this.”

The server smiled as he held the plate in front of everyone. “This is a summertime flavor: a cheese crostini topped with grilled nectarines.”

“I almost cried eating that,” Jean said as everyone grabbed a crostini slice.

Eren took a bite and embraced the juiciness of the nectarine taking over his taste buds. Levi thanked the server as the server walked away to attend to more guests. 

“That server let me have two of them,” Papa Arlet chuckled.

“Probably because you’re old,” Armin joked, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

Until dinner time, everyone walked around the ballroom, greeting donors, and trying new dishes. Levi was amazed at how the champagne perfectly matched up with all the hors d'oeuvres. He also enjoyed watching Eren’s professionalism as he greeted various people. Eren was able to display his own personal charm through his formalities between his nomming of hors d'oeuvres. Between the spinach puffs, Caprese salad on a stick, bacon-wrapped jalapenos, and mini crabcakes, Eren and Levi were going around the room.

“You’re really good at talking to people,” Levi said after two women walked away.

“Thanks,” Eren smiled. “My first Gala was very awkward, though. I stuttered a lot, so I’m glad you said that.”

Levi took a sip of champagne, hiding his small smile. Eren looked around quickly before kissing Levi’s forehead lightly.

“I made sure no one was watching and was super speedy,” Eren whispered.

“You’re a brat,” Levi said, taking another sip to hide his smile.

Eren chuckled. “Can’t wait for us to get back home so that I can see your smile in full.”

The gentlemen made their way back to the table, where everyone but Jean and Marco sat.

“So Levi, how is your first Gala so far?” Erwin asked as Levi sat down.

“Pleasant,” Levi said. “I’m surprised.”

“I can’t get over this champagne,” Moblit said as he got a refill from a server. “This is my third glass.”

“I don’t even know how many I’ve had,” Armin said. 

“To be young again…” Papa Arlet said, trailing away before everyone erupted into laughter. “I actually am enjoying everything though. I met Pixis, too. Nice to see an old friend again. He had his flask of whisky on him, as usual.”

“You took a shot with him, didn’t you?” Armin said.

“I will never say no to whisky,” Papa Arlet immediately responded. 

Jean and Marco finally arrived, clumsily sitting down in their spots as a server followed them. The server took away their glasses, to their disappointment.

“Ha!” Eren said. “Horsey got placed on probation. And his freckled owner, too.”

“Hey!” Marco retorted. “I do not own Jean. Jean is his own person that he owns!”

“Have some water,” Moblit said as he slid a glass of water over to Marco. Papa Arlet mirrored his actions for Jean.

“Alright, everyone!” Hanji cheered, holding up the menu. “I see the servers are coming around to take your orders. Hurry up and decide!”

Eren leaned over to look at the menu that he was sharing with Levi. He stared at it for a few minutes. “What catches your eye?”

“The miso salmon,” Levi replied, reading its description. “What about you?”

Eren squinted at the menu. “I’m not sure.”

“Do you want me to choose for you?” Levi suggested.

The brunet looked at his boyfriend, face turning red. “Um, yeah, if you don’t mind.”

“Seemed like you were struggling, so I was thinking I could help,” Levi said as he pushed his hand under the table, covering it with the table cloth as he placed his hand on Eren’s thigh near the knee.

Eren looked at Levi, who gave Eren’s thigh a small squeeze. 

“You should try the seafood tacos. We can split our dishes, if you’d like,” Levi said.

Eren’s heart skipped a beat. “Absolutely.”

“Do they have chicken nuggies?” Jean said as he looked at the menu. “With a side of fries?”

“No, this is a fancy place,” Marco said. “Chicken nuggies aren’t fancy.”

“But Eren’s getting tacos! I think… I think that’s what he said.”

“They’re fancy tacos,” Eren said. “But if you want, we can go to a diner to get your chicken nuggies after all this.”

Jean grunted in approval as Papa Arlet gave him more water to drink.

“I’m just praying neither of them throws up after this,” Eren whispered to Levi. “I didn’t expect Marco to drink a lot. Although the champagne this year is definitely the best our company has had.”

Levi sighed. “I just pray I don’t get dirty.”

He turned to Hanji. “When is your speech?”

Hanji looked up from her menu. “After the servers take everyone’s orders, I go up.”

The server arrived, taking everyone’s orders. Levi looked around, watching Jean and Marco laughing at something as they whispered to each other while Armin and his grandfather conversed. Hanji, Moblit, and Eren were in their own conversation as Erwin gave his order to the server.

After the server moved on from Erwin to Armin, Erwin turned to Levi.

“You’re handling yourself quite well,” Erwin said.

“Shithead,” Levi replied. “I have to present myself well for Eren.”

“Yeah, no one wants to talk to a stone-cold clean freak.”

“I will shove this glass up your ass.”

Erwin chuckled as he slowly pushed Levi’s glass away from him. 

“I’m leaving!” Hanji announced. “Wish me luck, you guys!”

“Don’t trip!” Jean yelled out.

Hanji waved as she made her way to the stage. The lights started to dim a bit as she got on the stage, her dress sparkling in the spotlight. Moblit chuckled to himself.

“She looks really nice in the spotlight,” Moblit said, watching Hanji walk up to the microphone. 

“So you should tap that ass,” whispered Marco loudly, erupting giggles from the entire table as Moblit’s face turned noticeably red, even with the dark lighting.

Hanji tapped on the microphone a few times. “Good evening everyone, and welcome!”

Everyone watched as Hanji explained the company’s mission and the achievements of the year. However, Eren’s attention was not on his boss, but rather on his date, who was staring at his friend on the stage. He eyed Levi’s side profile, with his sharp jawline and steady gaze. Looking at his eyes, Eren moved his sight down to Levi’s nose. Eren had no idea how a nose could be perfect, but Levi’s was. Finally, he had his sight on Levi’s lips. The perfect lips that he aimed to kiss someday.

Eren smiled to himself, thanking whatever higher power that Levi was in his life. He slid his hand down his thigh, feeling that Levi had not moved his hand. Eren grabbed Levi’s hand to hold and squealed mentally as he felt Levi squeeze his hand. He looked at Levi’s face, with the faintest of smiles delicately shown.

Hanji’s speech finished after she introduced the next speaker. The room applauded the brunette as Hanji smiled and made her way to the back of the stage. 

While Pixis started his speech, Hanji came back to the table. She was no longer wearing her dress, but instead was in her own tuxedo, matching Moblit. As soon as she sat down, she waved a server over for a refill of champagne.

“I’ve been aching for another drink,” Hanji murmured before thanking the server.

“Heyyyy,” whispered Jean. “Are you still a ‘she’ today?”

Hanji giggled. “I am still a ‘she.’ I just wanted to wear a tux.”

"Wearing a tux doesn't mean you have to be a 'she' or a 'he' or a 'they.'"

"I know," Hanji replied with a smile.

Jean nodded before he turned his attention to the stage. Marco gently placed his arm around Jean’s shoulders, leaning against his boyfriend. Everyone else continued to listen to Pixis’ speech. 

“It always amazed me how he can present himself decently with the amount of liquor in his body,” Papa Arlet whispered. “How many people think he’s sober?”

“His drinking habit is a company secret,” Hanji replied quietly. 

Eren chuckled as he scooted closer to Levi, wanting their arms to touch. Levi turned to look at Eren, but not before making sure that no one else was watching them. They both caught each other’s eyes before Levi leaned over to kiss Eren’s shoulder. Eren’s mouth dropped as Levi smirked before directing his attention back to Pixis.

Pixis ended his speech, thanking everyone for their attendance, and to enjoy the food. And just in time, the servers started to hand out everyone’s entrees. Hanji’s table was one of the first ones to be given their food. One by one, the servers placed down everyone’s dishes. Hanji and Marco ordered beef wellington, Moblit and Armin got miso salmon, Jean and Erwin got the lobster, and Papa Arlet got seafood tacos with extra tacos.

Eren’s mouth watered as the server placed down Levi’s salmon before putting down his seafood tacos. The server smiled at everyone and told them to enjoy themselves before leaving. 

“I am so happy I sobered up to enjoy this lobster,” Jean said. 

“You sobered up fast,” Armin commented.

“It was for lobster.”

"People who say they're sober aren't really sober," Marco replied.

"Your face isn't sober," Jean retorted.

Eren nudged Levi. “Could I have a bite please?”

“Of course,” Levi said as he grabbed a piece with his fork, dipping the salmon in the miso sauce before holding it out for Eren to take a bite.

As Eren chewed happily on the salmon, Erwin whispered to Levi. “You actually let him eat off your fork?”

Levi blinked a few times before looking over at Eren, who started taking a bite out of his taco.

“Yeah,” Levi replied, staring at his boyfriend. “I did.”

Erwin chuckled as he patted Levi’s back. “So can I have a taste?”

“No.”

Erwin shook his head. “A shame, really.”

“Your blond date has it. Ask him for a bite,” Levi said. 

“Just friends, Levi,” Erwin said before turning to Armin.

“Levi!” Eren said, gaining Levi’s attention. “Would you like a taco?”

Levi nodded as he saw Eren carefully hold a taco to Levi’s mouth. Eren held his hand under the taco to prevent any spills as Levi bit into it. 

As Levi chewed, Eren asked, “Is it good?”

Levi nodded once before swallowing and opening his mouth again. Eren gave Levi another bite. 

As Levi chewed, he looked at the table to see everyone staring at them. Armin and Erwin had knowing smirks on their faces, Papa Arlet was smiling, Jean had his mouth open as Marco chuckled, and Hanji had her camera out while Moblit was in his own world eating.

He swallowed. “The fuck you all looking at?”

“So cute!” Hanji geeked as she took more photos.

“I just don’t like getting my hands dirty,” Levi replied.

“Hanji, that’s enough,” Moblit chuckled as he lowered Hanji’s camera. “Please continue to eat.”

“I’m basking in the cuteness that I see,” Hanji grumbled as she reluctantly placed her camera away.

Everyone continued eating and drinking. Erwin managed to get some of Armin’s salmon in exchange for some lobster, Pixis came by to take another shot with Papa Arlet, and everyone else cheered them on.

Levi was finishing up his salmon when he felt a presence behind him before hearing a sniff.

He turned around before nodding. “Mike.”

“You have Eren’s scent on you,” Mike commented as he extended out his hand. 

Levi stood up and shook Mike’s hand. “We live together. Hi, Nanaba.”

Nanaba raised her hand up. “Levi, it’s been a while. Living together, you say?”

“Would you rather live with Hanji or Eren?”

“I see.”

“We almost have the whole crew here!” Hanji said as she dragged Moblit to the other side of the table. “We just need Petra, Oluo, Eld, Gunther, Farlan, and Isabel! Marco, quick! Take a photo!”

Marco grabbed Hanji’s camera and took a few snapshots. Hanji had her arms around Levi and Nanaba, with Levi giving Hanji the side while Nanaba chuckled. Mike and Erwin threw their arms around Moblit as everyone chuckled at the sight. 

“Very cute photos,” Marco said after he finished. “I swear I got sober enough to take photos.”

"People who say they're sober aren't really sober," Jean mocked, earning a laugh and a light punch to the arm from his boyfriend.

“Yay!” Hanji exclaimed as she went up to Marco to look at the photos. “They look good!”

“So, Eren,” Mike said as Eren finished up his last taco. “Ready for our annual game of pool?” 

Eren grinned with food in his mouth as he got up. He properly finished his food before saying, “Definitely.”

He then looked down at Levi. “Mike and I play against each other every year. So far, it’s tied.”

“If you’re worried about losing, we can do a doubles match,” Mike said as he patted Nanaba’s shoulder. “I’ll take Nanaba.”

Levi stood up as Eren crossed his arms and scoffed at Mike. “I’m not worried about losing against you.”

He turned to Levi. “Play with me?”

“Of course. I’m always ready to beat Zacharias’ ass.”

Mike smirked. “You’re on, Ackerman.”

“And Eren,” the brunet peeped out.

“Nanaba.”

“Another year, another game!” Jean cheered as he held up his new glass of champagne. 

The whole table headed over to a familiar area where a few pool tables were. All but one were taken, and Mike and Eren immediately rushed over to claim their territory. A server immediately came by to serve everyone some champagne. 

“Don’t let the alcohol mess you up,” Mike teased as he carefully placed his drink on the edge of the pool table and chalked a pool stick. 

Eren rolled his eyes as he handed his glass for Levi to hold while he set up the balls. “I should be saying that to you.”

He lifted up the rack and placed it on a hook located on the side of the pool table before grabbing a pool stick. Then, he walked up to Levi to grab his champagne glass, taking a long sip.

“Are you ready to kick some ass?” Eren asked his partner.

Levi scoffed. “I’m always ready to kick ass.”

“Hell yeah, you are!” Hanji cheered as she got a refill of champagne.

Mike chuckled as he moved the cue ball more to the left instead of the center before making his first shot. He successfully broke the balls apart, with one striped ball going into a corner pocket.

“Stripes,” Mike called out as he aimed for another corner pocket shot. He successfully completed his shot before failing to get in his third ball into the side pocket.

“Mikey is making power moves,” Erwin called out as Mike handed his stick to Nanaba while Eren examined the table. 

Levi watched as Eren slandered over to the opposite side of the table, lowering himself down to hit the cue ball against the side before having it bounce off and hit a solid ball into a corner pocket.

“Nice,” Levi complimented as Eren stood back up from his aiming position. 

“Thanks,” Eren grinned as he looked at the table before lowering himself again, trying to hit another solid ball into a side pocket, but failing to do so. Instead, the cue ball hit his solid ball before hitting a stripe ball into the side pocket.

“Thank you,” Nanaba smirked as she waved Eren away. Eren sighed in defeat as he walked over to Levi.

“Don’t look like that,” Levi said. “It’s only the beginning of the game.”

“You’re right,” Eren said, a smile on his face as he handed Levi the stick. “We still have time to kick ass.”

“Go Eren! Go Levi!” Armin cheered from the sidelines. Eren grinned as he grabbed his champagne glass that he placed on the edge of the pool table earlier, raising it up before taking a sip.

Nanaba managed to get one ball in before it was Levi’s turn. Levi decided to take off his jacket and handed it to Erwin.

“Don’t stain it,” Levi warned as he slightly pushed his sleeves up, exposing his forearms. Hanji whistled in the background.

He eyed the table. None of the balls were located conveniently for him. The only thing he could probably do was somehow get the cue ball to jump on the other side of the striped ball and hit the solid ball into the side pocket. 

“You shitheads aren’t making this easy on me,” Levi grumbled as he sat on the edge of the pool table. 

He angled his stick and aimed at the bottom of the cue ball. Eren eyed the sexy pose that Levi had, unconsciously biting his lower lip as he watched Levi focus. The raven-haired man hit the ball so quickly that the cue ball actually jumped over the striped ball and moved forward to hit the solid ball into the pocket.

Cheers came from the crowd as Eren walked up to his boyfriend and patted his back.

“Good job,” the brunet said, his voice slightly shaking. “Score a few more, would you?”

Levi rolled his eyes before smirking at the man. “Tch, watch me.”

He walked over to where the cue ball was, eyeing it carefully for it was a centimeter away from the pocket. With the new positioning of the cue ball, he swiftly made his shot and got another ball in the pocket. However, he couldn’t get a third shot in.

“Impressive,” Nanaba commented as Levi grabbed his champagne glass. “Didn’t think you were one to know trick shots.”

“I got a bunch of tricks up my sleeve,” Levi replied as he handed over the stick to Eren. He had lost track of how many glasses he had, but he felt just a tad tipsy. Not enough to ruin the game though.

As Mike started his turn, Eren whispered over to Levi. “You looked hot taking that first shot.”

Levi raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

Eren nodded as he took a sip of his own glass. He, too, had lost count of how many glasses he had. But the odds were in his favor, for the alcohol wasn’t catching up to him yet. Only a little bit.

Mike didn’t get any shots in, and Eren laughed until he, too, didn’t get any balls in the pocket. Nanaba showed off, sinking in two balls. Levi got two in following that. Mike got one ball in, and it was then Eren’s turn.

Levi watched as Eren walked up to the pool table, and he swore that Eren was swaying his hips as he walked to the table. He completely didn’t watch Eren’s shot, for all he had his eye on was the plump, luscious ass in front of him. 

Eren turned around and smirked at Levi. “How was that shot?”

Levi gave Eren a thumbs up, not trusting his voice. Eren laughed as he proceeded to take another hit. 

The game ended with Mike and Nanaba winning. 

“Better luck next year,” Mike said as he shook Eren’s hand.

“Levi and I will kick your asses next year,” Eren said. 

“Levi’s coming back next year?” Mike said, raising his eyebrow as he smiled mischievously at the sight of Eren’s ears turning red. 

“Can’t wait to see you lose,” Eren retorted before quickly moving to shake Nanaba’s hand.

Levi came back from getting his jacket from Erwin as he extended out his hand. “Good game.”

Mike chuckled. “Although Nanaba and I are the winners of this pool game, I can’t help but feel that in some way, you and Eren are winning tonight.”

“Is that so?”

Mike smiled. “Indeed.”

“Jaeger!” Jean shouted from the side. “You shouldn’t let anyone but me beat you in a match!”

“Like you could do any better!” Eren yelled back. He looked around. “Where is Gramps?”

“He went to the chocolate fountain,” Armin responded. 

Eren perked up. He grabbed Levi immediately and dragged him around.

“What?” Levi questioned.

“Chocolate fountain,” Eren replied as he looked around. Eventually, he found Papa Arlet in line for the fountain. 

Papa Arlet waved as the duo walked up to him. “This is what I came here for. How did you guys afford all of this delicious food?”

“Pixis knows some people,” Eren laughed as he grabbed a plate and turned to Levi. “Do you want to share a plate?”

Levi nodded as Papa Arlet chuckled. 

“You both are a fine couple.”

Eren widened his eyes while Levi replied. “Thank you. Did Erwin and Armin tell you?”

The elder shook his head. “I had my suspicions. The atmosphere between you two felt different lately. But I’m very happy for you both. And I’m especially proud of this one.”

Papa Arlet nudged Eren as Eren was placing some strawberries on his plate. Eren rolled his eyes before smiling. 

“Thanks, Pops.”

Levi eyed Papa Arlet’s plate, which was filled with marshmallows and strawberries. “You sure got a mountain going on there.”

“I have been waiting for this moment, and this is not going to be my only plate,” the man responded.

Eren laughed. “I’m not surprised.”

The three of them got their chocolate-covered food before heading back to their table, where everyone else was. Armin took a marshmallow from Papa Arlet’s plate, earning a disappointed look from the latter.

While everyone talked among themselves, Eren turned to Levi. “How has the night been for you so far?”

“I’m enjoying myself. Time certainly flew by quickly,” Levi said before shoving a small strawberry in his mouth. 

“Fuck,” he said when he finished it. “That’s some delicious chocolate.”

“Right?” Papa Arlet chimed in. He stood up. “I’m going to go back. By the time I reach the fountain, my plate will be empty.”

Pixis appeared suddenly and patted Papa Arlet’s shoulder. “Mind if I tag along?”

“Do you have some form of payment?” Papa Arlet chuckled. Pixis laughed as he pulled out a flask and handed it to Papa Arlet.

“Be careful, Pixis!” Hanji laughed. “Don’t trip.”

“Don’t worry,” laughed Pixis as he and Papa Arlet made their way to the chocolate fountain. 

The lights dimmed a bit and Hanji gasped. “Guys. It’s time for the slow dance.”

The music changed to be more slow-paced, changing the mood of the Gala entirely. Eren listened for a bit before recognizing the familiar tune.

”Oh, my God. It’s the theme of Howl’s Moving Castle,” Eren said.

Jean stood up as he extended a hand in front of Marco. “My lovely man, would you care to dance with me?”

Marco chuckled as he took Jean’s hand and kissed his knuckles. “Well, of course, my darling.”

The couple got up and made their way to the open space, being one of the first couples to start dancing. Everyone at the table watched as Jean wrapped his arm around Marco’s waist, swaying them both back and forth before giving him a small peck on the forehead. Hanji giggled to herself as she took a picture. 

Moblit stared at his friends dancing before clearing his throat and turning to Hanji.

“Hanji…” Moblit said. Hanji turned around and tilted her head.

“Would you like to dance with me?”

Hanji’s face turned red as she paused for a bit before nodding her head slowly. Moblit smiled and stood up, extending out his hand for her to grab. Together, they walked over so that they were a few feet away from Jean and Marco and started dancing.

Erwin stood up. “Well, I wouldn’t want to impose on you two’s alone time.” He looked at Eren and Levi before looking at Armin and offering his hand.

“Dance?”

“Sure!” Armin gleefully replied as he grabbed Erwin’s hand and jumped out of his seat. They made their way to the dance floor.

Eren turned to Levi. “We can do whatever you want.”

Levi watched as Jean and Marco gently kissed each other again. He then placed his attention on Hanji and Moblit, both engaging in small conversation with shy demeanors. But based on Hanji’s smile, he knew that everything was okay. He then shifted over to Erwin and Armin, who were smiling and talking. Finally, he found Papa Arlet and Pixis at the chocolate fountain, shoving a lot of sweets in their mouths. 

“Actually,” Levi said before turning to face Eren. “If you want to dance, I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”

Eren beamed. “Really?”

Levi nodded.

Eren chuckled and cleared his throat before standing up and extending out his hand. “May I have this dance, Levi?”

“Of course,” Levi said as he gently grabbed Eren’s hand and stood up. 

Hand in hand, Eren and Levi made their way to the dance floor, more towards the stage where the performers were. The strings’ smooth voices played across the room as Eren wrapped his arms around Levi’s waist and Levi placed his hands on Eren’s neck. Together, they started dancing to the music.

“I’m having a fun time,” Eren said as he looked at Levi. “This has been my favorite Gala yet.”

“I’m happy I am a part of it,” Levi replied. “You look incredibly stunning, by the way.”

Eren shyly chuckled. “Thank you. Although you certainly have taken the spotlight here.”

Levi replicated Eren’s chuckle as he shook his head. “You’re amazing.”

As they continued to dance, Eren eyed Levi. Somehow, it was as if they were the only people in the room right now. Just them and the music. The spotlight of Eren’s gaze settled upon the marvelous man dancing with him.

Levi looked at Eren’s smile, a gentle, content smile. Before he realized it, Levi had a beautiful smile on his face. His eyes softened as he looked at his boyfriend with adoration.

“I am so happy to be a part of your life,” Eren said.

Levi blushed a bit, but his smile still maintained. “Likewise.”

Eren’s eyes went down to Levi’s lips. The lips that he had been wanting to kiss the whole night.

“Levi?” Eren said.

“Hm?”

Eren gulped before licking his lips. “May I kiss you please?”

Levi chuckled at the sight he got on his toes slightly, tilting his head to the right as he pulled Eren down a bit. He was mere centimeters away from Eren’s lips.

“You may,” Levi whispered.

Eren leaned in and gently kissed Levi. He felt his chest swell up as Levi tightened his grip, pulling Eren closer.

The feeling he had at the moment was beautiful.

_Is this…_

Levi melted in the kiss as he held onto Eren. He had never felt like this before. A simple, sweet kiss.

They pulled back from the kiss, with Eren pressing his forehead against Levi’s. They gazed into each others’ eyes, taking in the emotions that came with the kiss. 

_Perhaps, it is._

Levi and Eren blinked as they heard a loud whimper. They both turned to the source, where Moblit was trying to calm Hanji down as she took photos on her camera, tears streaming down her face. Jean and Marco were eyeing the couple, both giving huge thumbs up.

“I can’t believe I’m witnessing such a beautiful moment. And I have it on camera!” Hanji cried.

“Hanji!” Moblit said. “You’re ruining the moment!”

"Levi got the Jaeger booty!" Jean cheered.

Eren burst into laughter before looking at Levi. Levi let out a small laugh as he rested his forehead on Eren’s chest.

“A beautiful moment, it is,” Levi said to Eren, who placed a kiss on the top of his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends! Thank you for reading :) I super appreciate you all so much. I hope this chapter was to your satisfaction. It was definitely a bit of a struggle to work on. I would love any form of feedback! <3
> 
> That being said, I did want to announce that I may have slower updates due to new obligations. I'll still try my best to update weekly, though. 
> 
> Thank you everyone for sticking around this far! Together, let's embrace the love we have for Eren and Levi! And of course, we can't forget about our beloved characters, too, hehe.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I wanted to squeeze this little snippet in, so I'm sorry that it's not a lot!! But please enjoy :)

After the slow dancing came a few presentations about the Gala and discussions about the donations. Then there was some free time. Eren and Levi were seated on two chairs, facing the whole group who towered over them, for the most part. Papa Arlet sat next to Eren on a chair, Jean, Marco, and Moblit stood in front of the couple. Erwin and Armin were standing behind Levi while Hanji had the front row seat, too close for Eren and Levi’s tastes.

“Back the fuck off,” Levi said as he waved Hanji away.

Hanji took a few steps back before leaning forward. “So how long have you guys been dating?”

“A week-ish?” Eren looked over at Levi, who sighed at Hanji’s proximity.

“About,” Levi agreed.

“Is this like the talking-dating stage or is this an exclusive relationship?”

“Exclusive,” Eren and Levi both said.

“And you kept this marvelous news a secret?” Hanji exclaimed.

“Actually,” Levi jerked his head towards the blond duo behind him. “They knew. Found out with their brains and stuff.”

Eren pointed to the older man next to him. “And he knew.”

Jean, Marco, and Moblit watched everything, knowing that they wouldn’t have to say a peep to Eren and Levi with Hanji doing the interrogation. 

"I would hate to be interrogated by Hanji," Moblit offhandedly commented.

Marco hummed in agreement as Jean laughed. 

“And none of you guys,” Hanji eyed all of them. “Had the thought to call me?!”

“Hey, I’m just an old man,” Papa Arlet said with his hands up in defense. “I just told them today that I knew. They never directly told me.”

“Okay,” Hanji nodded. “I’ll let you off the hook.”

She turned aggressively to the blond duo. “But you both!”

“You should know,” Levi stated, smirking as he scooted away from Hanji and into Eren. “That they came over and had a sleepover, knowing about our relationship.”

“A sleepover?!” Hanji screeched. “And I wasn’t invited?!”

Eren scolded Levi as Levi took in the slight chaos he started with a content look on his face. Erwin and Armin were explaining to Hanji that they wanted to respect their privacy. 

While Hanji started hitting Erwin’s chest, Jean slammed his hand down on Eren’s shoulder.

“I feel like a proud dad,” Jean said. “My son finally has someone in his life! Levi, please take care of him.”

“He can take care of himself,” Levi said as he looked at Eren.

“Yeah, and I can beat your ass too!” Eren retorted at the two-toned hair man, earning a disgusted face in return.

Marco sighed as Jean removed his hand and went back to his boyfriend. “You two need to chill. I personally would like to offer a congratulation message to both of you guys. It’s nice to see.”

“Congrats!” Moblit smiled. “I love seeing new couples!”

“You’ll get there, Moblit,” Eren teased as he eyed Hanji, who was busy scolding Armin. Moblit’s cheeks turned red as everyone around them laughed. Marco placed his hand on Moblit's back as sympathy.

Hanji turned to the laugher. “What’s funny?”

“Nothing,” Eren said. “Are you done scolding them?”

“I guess,” Hanji pouted. She then shined a smile. “But! Now that I know, I can mess around with them!”

“Hanji, no,” Levi said.

“Hanji, yes,” Hanji replied.

Pixis went up on the stage to announce that the Gala was closing and to thank all the sponsors and donors for their contributions. Eren laughed at himself, forgetting that the main purpose of the Gala went beyond having fun. He was so occupied with the laugher of his friends. With Levi by his side, it was truly the best Gala he had ever been to. The brunet looked at his surroundings, smiling as he saw Hanji give Erwin a dirty look. Marco went behind Jean's back and wrapped his arms around Jean's waist, placing his chin on Jean's shoulder while Jean grumbled about how he used to be taller than Marco. Moblit was sipping on a glass of water and Armin attentively listened to Pixis. Papa Arlet was smiling to himself, chuckling about Pixis totally being drunk on stage. 

Eren looked at Levi and gently placed his hand on Levi's shoulder. Levi glanced at Eren, a quick small smirk showing up on his face before turning back to listen to Pixis.

After Pixis finished his speech, he received a round of applause, with Hanji clapping her hands in a circle. 

Papa Arlet stood up and stretched. “Well, there goes that. I’m getting a ride home with Pixis, but it was fun to go out and be with you all. Make sure you all get home safely, okay?”

Everyone cheered and assured him that. Armin made his way up to his grandfather, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Call me if you need anything,” he said.

The older man chuckled. “Don’t worry. The most you all can do for me is have fun.”

Everyone waved off Papa Arlet as he waved back and walked over to a waiting Pixis.

“I’m gonna be honest,” Jean called out. “I don’t really want to go to a club tonight.”

Everyone looked at each other.

Levi shrugged. “That doesn’t bother me.”

Jean smirked as he placed his arm around Eren. “I think we should all crash at Eren’s place instead. The idea of being cramped in a club drunk and making sure you have to get home safely? No. But, the idea of being at Eren’s place where we can be as drunk as we want with no worries because he and Levi are so generous to let us stay over? Beautiful.”

Eren and Levi looked at each other as Marco scolded Jean for inviting everyone in the group, pulling him off Eren. 

“What do you think?” Eren asked.

Levi sighed and looked around the group. “If they buy the alcohol and give us some time to cool down, then I’ll be fine. It’s roughly 8PM right now. 11PM isn’t too late, right?”

Eren shook his head. “That’s prime time. But are you okay with it?”

Levi gave a soft smile. “I am. I just don’t want a mess. Today was a good day, and I would 100% rather end the night at home with some good people than go to a club.”

Eren took Levi’s hand and smiled.

“Okay, you shit heads,” Levi said as he stood up, still holding onto Eren’s hand. “You all can come over. Be over at 11PM and we aren’t providing drinks or snacks. We gave you a location. Also, you fuckers better be showered and clean. No exceptions.”

“Yes, sir!” Jean and Marco called out. Everyone else cheered in response.

“But before that,” Hanji spoke out. “Could you all help clean up a bit, please? I would super appreciate it.”

And so for 30 minutes, they helped the cleanup crew put away the tables and chairs. Levi also helped wipe down the tables, making sure each table was spotless. The events director of the hotel thanked everyone for their help and as a gratitude gift, handed them the rest of the leftover champagne, which was only three bottles.

“Wow, there were still leftovers?” Armin asked.

The director laughed. “Pixis comes prepared. He took a few home himself.”

After Levi made sure that there was at least one sober person for each car, they all started to head back to their own places to get ready to go to Eren and Levi’s apartment later. Eren and Levi brought the champagne with them and drove back home.

When they got home, Levi immediately jumped into the shower after telling Eren to wipe the champagne bottles. Eren chuckled and did so before bending down to pet Captain. 

“Hello there,” Eren cooed. “We just got back from the Gala. It was super fun. I got to see Levi dressed all nice and we even danced and had our first kiss!”

Captain meowed as Eren smiled. 

“His lips were soft. I licked my lips to make sure they were soft, too,” chuckled Eren. “And Hanji even got a photo. I don’t think it’s common to have a picture of your first kiss with someone.”

Eren heard the bathroom door open.

“Get your ass in the shower, brat,” Levi called out before heading into his room.

“On it,” Eren said as he gave Captain one last pat on the head before getting clean himself.

When Eren finished showering and changing into a black t-shirt and grey shorts, he walked into the living room to see two steaming mugs on the coffee table and Levi and Captain on the couch. Eren eyed Levi, in his green t-shirt and black joggers, before sitting next to him. 

“I guess since we don’t have to worry about taking each other home, we can drink to our hearts’ content,” Levi said as he grabbed both mugs and handed one over to Eren.

Eren sniffed the tea, blowing on it before taking a sip. “Blueberry and green tea.”

Levi nodded as he took a sip himself. They sat on the couch in silence, sipping on tea. Captain decided to move to the recliner chair and curled up into a ball.

“Hanji’s going to bring the good shit,” Levi brought up. “And Erwin is going to bring his fancy-ass bourbon. I just know it.”

“Hanji sure knows her mixed drinks,” Eren said. “But you know they’re going to be strong. And everyone is going to get rowdy. You know, I purposefully choose this apartment because of its thick walls and soundproofing. I knew my friends would want to hang out at this location.”

Levi nodded. “Good choice.”

They sat again in silence before Eren spoke.

“You know what?”

“What?”

“I think that in an alternative universe, you would be a psychic.”

Levi arched his eyebrow. “A psychic.”

“With pink hair,” Eren nodded. “And you probably could do mind control, move things, fix things, all that jazz.”

“Good grief,” Levi responded. “That sure is something.”

“And maybe in another one, you would be a high school teacher. Y ou would also be an advisor for a volleyball team. But you wouldn’t know volleyball rules that well, so you would beg on your knees for someone else to do it because you love your team.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “Like I would get on my knees.”

“Oh, but I bet that in another universe, you wouldn’t even have to use effort to get others to get on their knees for you.”

“You seem like you have put a lot of thought into this,” Levi said.

Eren chuckled sheepishly. “I have. But this one is my favorite. You’re a captain in a military branch. You’re the strongest soldier too - humanity’s strongest.”

“I do like the ring of that.”

“But your childhood was rough. You were a thug and everything.”

“I see,” Levi said. “Well, if I had to guess about you…”

Eren turned to Levi. “Oh, yes, give me your thoughts.”

“You’ll either be an annoying person who has great detective skills but can’t shut up, an ice wizard, a chef specializing in Chinese cuisine, a volleyball player who hates gravity, or…”

“Okay, some of those sound cool…”

“In that same universe where I’m a captain, you’ll be my subordinate,” Levi smirked. “But you probably have some special ability. And if you fuck up, I’ll be the one to kill you.”

Eren thought for a moment. “I’m not sure how I should view this.”

“And you probably have a lot of trauma. Poor Eren.”

“I’m going to pretend that I’m cool in that universe,” Eren said as he finished his tea.

“Do as you wish,” Levi said before looking around the room. “Should we move the furniture around?”

Eren shook his head. “I think we’ll be fine.”

“Are you feeling lazy?”

“Absolutely.”

Eren placed his cup down on the table next to his phone before leaning back. He closed his eyes for a bit, embracing the calm atmosphere his apartment had before everyone arrived. Levi sipped on his tea, looking around the room. 

“We should definitely move the furniture around,” Levi said before taking another nice, long sip of his tea.

“Or we could make out,” Eren nonchalantly said before realization hit. He opened his eyes and immediately covered his mouth.

Levi choked on his tea.

“M-make out?”

They both shared a long stare, neither daring to do anything. Finally, Eren broke the silence.

“Okay, we can totally ignore that, no problem, it really isn’t a problem, no,” Eren rambled on, looking at everything besides Levi’s face.

“...But what if I don’t want to ignore it?” Levi murmured, looking at his lap.

Eren immediately looked at his boyfriend, mouth opened slightly. Levi looked back up at his boyfriend.

“Should we... flip a coin?”

Levi grimaced. “Coins are dirty. Let’s just flip a phone on the couch.”

Eren grabbed his phone from the table. “Screen says we move the furniture. Back says we… yeah.”

“Why are you acting shy now?” Levi asked.

The other scoffed. “Says the guy who was acting shy minutes ago. Don’t play like that.”

Levi smirked as he motioned to the phone. Eren rolled his eyes and flipped it, with the phone landing on the screen between them.

They both stared at the phone for a bit before Levi slowly moved his hand and flipped it around.

“Oh, man, looks like we gotta do it.”

Eren erupted into laughter as he placed his phone away and leaned towards Levi, who chuckled along. Levi immediately wrapped his arms around Eren’s neck as he leaned back. A few seconds later, Levi’s head was resting on the arm of the couch, with Eren hovering over him, his knee between Levi’s thighs as he placed one arm next to Levi’s head for support. With his other hand, he gently placed his thumb on the bottom of Levi’s lips. Levi’s breath hitched as Eren smiled.

“You know, you can always say no. I want to make you feel comfortable since there is absolutely no rush at all,” Eren whispered as he leaned even closer, almost touching their noses together.

“If I truly didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have anything in the first place,” Levi said, looking into green eyes.

Eren slowly leaned into Levi, pressing his lips gently on the other. His hand moved to Levi’s cheek as they embraced each other in the simple kiss. Levi moved his hands down to Eren’s waist as he softly bit Eren’s lower lip, earning a low moan from the other.

They pulled apart a bit, looking at each other’s features. A small kiss had both of their hearts beating wildly. Did they really want to go further?

Levi took a deep breath.

Eren kissed Levi’s forehead. “How are you feeling?”

Levi cleared his throat. “Swell,” he croaked out, causing Eren to giggle.

“Don’t go losing your voice on me,” Eren purred.

“How,” Levi started in a very normal voice. “Do you even manage to act so smooth? Sometimes, you’re the most awkward person ever, and other times, you act so confidently.”

Eren paused for a bit before finally opening his mouth. “Honestly, I couldn’t tell you. I think that when I’m determined about something, I’ll try my best to pull it off?”

“Well,” Levi said, his voice going down an octave as he moved his hands slowly down to Eren’s hips. “I know something that you could pull off.”

Eren snorted before leaning forward to kiss Levi, adjusting his position so that he was straddling Levi’s thighs. Levi’s hands went under Eren’s shirt, still on Eren’s hips as Eren nibbled on Levi’s bottom lip. Levi gasped slightly as Eren let his tongue explore Levi’s mouth, muffling the moan.

As Eren ravished Levi, he let one of his hands touch Levi’s chest, slowly lowering it until he reached the bottom of Levi’s shirt. He fiddled with the edge and was about to let his hands touch Levi’s skin when the doorbell rang.

They immediately pulled apart and looked at each other. 

“What time is it?” Levi asked.

Eren grabbed his phone and checked the time. “It’s only 10:25PM. Someone’s early.”

Levi sighed and rolled his eyes. “I fucking said 11PM.”

A knock came before a series of knocks followed.

“Leeeevi,” a familiar voice called out. “I’m here early but I want to get a head start on the drinks.”

“Give me a bit,” Levi yelled back. He clicked his tongue as Eren slowly lifted himself off of him. 

Levi turned to Eren after he sat up. “I’m sorry about my shitty friends. Especially that shitty friend in particular.”

Eren chuckled before giving Levi a quick peck on the lips. “It’s fine. We can have our fun later.”

The brunet got up and quickly slid his hand in his pants to adjust something before walking over to the door, causing Levi to chuckle as he grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watched AoT Chibi version. It's super cute guys.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish that I had the ability to manipulate time so that I could fix my sleep schedule.

“Hi!” Hanji cheered as she barged into the apartment with a bag full of mixers. Moblit trailed behind as he carried the bag of liquor. Moblit wore black plaid pajama pants with a navy blue t-shirt while Hanji wore an oversized t-shirt from a conference she went to and some comfy red shorts.

“Sorry we came a bit early,” Moblit apologized. “But Hanji was very persistent.”  
  
Eren chuckled as he took the bag from Moblit to place on the counter. “It’s okay, I can understand that.”

Levi eventually got off the couch to help organize everything that Hanji and Moblit brought. Hanji started taking out a bunch of fruits, syrups, and other mixers as Eren took out the liquor. Moblit and Levi started to move around the furniture to create a more open space in the living room. Captain sat on the recliner chair as he watched everyone move around.

“Do you have any plastic cups?” Hanji asked.

“Does this look like a frat house to you?” Eren questioned back as he finished placing the liquor down. “We have cups that you can use, but they’re not your normal red solo cups. But if you drop them, they won’t break easily.”

“Perfect,” Hanji beamed as she watched Eren grab the cups from the cabinet. 

Eren turned to look at Hanji. “Do you want a pitcher or something?”

“Yes, please! I’ll just mix the juices there and let people pour in their liquor,” Hanji said as Eren grabbed a pitcher to hand to her.

She started mixing a bunch of random things in the pitcher with a sinister-looking grin on her face. Eren decided to take the time to turn his back to Hanji and walk over to Levi and Moblit, who were standing in the middle of the room making sure that nothing seemed out of place and that anything breakable was put away.

Eren stood next to Levi. “Anything I can help with?”

“I think we’re good for now,” Levi replied. 

Moblit sheepishly smiled. “I’m sorry we barged in early.”

He then lowered his voice a bit. “But I can distract Hanji so that you guys can treasure some alone time.”

Eren shook his head. “That’s oka-”

“I owe you one,” Levi replied as he grabbed Eren’s wrist and dragged him to his room as Moblit walked over to Hanji.

Levi opened the door and walked into his room as Eren closed the door behind him. They both sat down at the end of the bed before Levi decided to get on Eren’s lap, facing him as he placed his head on Eren’s shoulder. Eren wrapped his arms around Levi’s waist as he slightly adjusted his position to accommodate the both of them.

“Y-you doing okay?” Eren asked, not used to Levi’s sudden affections yet.

“I just want to be like this for a bit before I exert my energy towards socializing tonight,” Levi mumbled. “And to clarify, I really don’t have a problem with everyone coming over, but I just want some time to prep.”

Eren nodded as Levi wrapped his arms around Eren’s shoulders. They sat in silence. Eren realized that no one ever turned on the lights, leaving them on the bed in the dark. It was calming for the most part until Hanji dropped something. Levi perked up at the noise.

“I can’t trust Hanji.”

“But Moblit’s out there,” Eren replied.

“The force is too strong with this one,” Levi said he got off Eren. “She’s going to break something.”

Eren chuckled as he got up and followed Levi out of the door. Hanji had dropped a few cups, but they were plastic so nothing broke. The doorbell rang and Eren went to go greet the visitors.

“Hello!” Marco cheered as he and Jean stepped inside, both with plain grey joggers but Marco wore a red t-shirt and Jean a black one. Jean had a few grocery bags full of chips and dips while Marco brought some beer. 

“Hold the door!” 

Eren turned as he saw Armin rushing to their apartment door in red pajama pants and a black t-shirt with Erwin not far behind in a white t-shirt and black pajama pants. Armin held a few containers of cookies in his arms while Erwin had a bag presumably filled with the liquor that Levi loved.

With a smile, the brunet let the two blonds inside. He took note that everyone was here and locked the front door before joining everyone. Jean and Armin were setting up the snack area next to the drinks while Levi let Captain go into his room for the night. Erwin and Marco added their stash to the drinks while Hanji and Moblit went through their phones to find a playlist to play throughout the night.

Eren went up to the snacks and grabbed a chip to dip into the opened container of guacamole. As he munched on the chip, Levi walked up to him.

“I let Hanji and Moblit choose the music,” Levi said as Eren prepared another chip with guac on it. “And with that, I let Captain chill in my room for the rest of the night.”

Eren nodded as he held out the chip for Levi to eat. He saw Jean dash over to Hanji and Moblit to queue some songs for him.

“Will Captain be okay?” Armin asked as he joined in the conversation, munching on a few potato chips. 

“Yeah, I’m going to make sure that the music isn’t loud, to begin with anyway,” Levi replied as he watched Eren eat. 

Eren noticed Levi’s stare and gave him another chip. After eating the chip, Levi turned around to grab a couple of glasses for himself and Erwin. Marco walked over with three beers in his hand.

“Thanks for hosting, Eren,” Marco said as he opened a drawer to grab a knife. He used the bottom of the knife to open the three beers before putting the knife away and handing the beers to Armin and Eren.

“Back at it again with the unique ways to open a beer bottle?” Eren joked as he grabbed the beer before examining it. “You really do pick the best ones.”

Marco chuckled. “What can I say? I love me a good beer.”  
  
The three of them cheered their beers together before taking a good sip. Armin placed down his beer and took a sugar cookie as he turned to Eren.  
  
“So I got a text from Mikasa about interrogation?” Armin said.  
  
Marco chuckled. “So Mikasa found out?”  
  
Eren groaned. “It’s more like I told her, but it was because I rather have her hear it from me than anyone else.”  
  
“That’s very valid,” Marco said as he grabbed a chocolate chip cookie. “When are you guys meeting?”  
  
“Next Saturday,” Armin answered. “Lunch at my grandfather’s.”  
  
“Lunch?” Jean said as he joined in the conversation, a drink made by Hanji in his hand. Marco looked at the drink before grabbing it and taking a sip out of it.  
“Mikasa meeting Levi,” Eren replied.  
  
Jean smirked before turning to Marco. “Sounds like we have a lunch plan to attend to.”  
  
“I feel like we shouldn’t do that,” Marco said as he gave Jean his drink back.  
  
“Yeah,” Armin agreed. “Instead, you guys should just join half-way. I’ll text you all.”  
  
“Perfection,” Marco chuckled as Eren groaned.  
  
“Is my love life that interesting to you all?”  
  
“Absolutely,” the three of them said in unison.  
  
“This is something I need to see with my own two eyes,” Jean followed up.  
  
“I’m walking away,” Eren said as he turned to find Levi. The trio laughed before continuing their conversation.  
  
He saw Levi, Erwin, Hanji, and Moblit crowded together. However, he decided to turn down the music volume just a bit beforehand to not disrupt Captain. No one complained, so Eren went back to stand next to Levi.   
  
The older man swirled his whiskey in his cup as he looked at Eren. “Hello.”  
  
“Heard you got lunch plans with your sister next week with this guy!” Hanji said as she placed her arm around Levi. Levi removed Hanji’s arm from his shoulders before glaring at her.  
  
“Don’t touch me. And your breath is too close to me.”  
  
“And he’s super nervous about it all,” Erwin teased.  
  
Levi switched his glare to Erwin. “I am not nervous.”  
  
“Bullshit,” Erwin said. “You are, you’re just super good at hiding it.”  
  
Levi tched as Moblit chuckled before walking over to Armin, Marco, and Jean to both grab some snacks and socialize. With that, everyone else’s eyes were directed at Hanji.  
  
“How was the Gala to you, Hanji?” Erwin asked before taking a sip of his whiskey.  
  
“Super fun!” Hanji said as she took a huge sip of her drink.  
  
Levi sighed as he looked at Eren. “This is her third drink.”  
“We need to take advantage of this opportunity,” Erwin said to Eren before turning to Hanji. “Did you have fun dancing with Moblit?”  
  
“Yes, sir!” Hanji said as she saluted. “He’s quite the dancer. Told me he used to take dancing lessons or something? Some etiquette class when he was younger. I don’t know? He knows a lot of things.”  
  
“Cotillion,” Levi said as he eyed Moblit, who was laughing at something Armin said while grabbing a bunch of cookies in his hand to eat.  
  
“Sure! That fancy word!” Hanji said. She turned to Erwin, propping her free hand on her hip. “So, tell me, hot stuff. Who has your eye nowadays?”  
  
“I have my own eye,” Erwin said as he swirled his drink. “It would be ridiculous for someone to obtain my eye.”  
  
Hanji gasped. “You’re absolutely right.”  
  
“Motherfucker,” Levi murmured behind his cup as he sipped his drink.   
  
Eren chuckled. He felt that Erwin was hiding something, but it probably wasn’t something that he would be able to find out any time soon. While he’d like to think it was about his friend, he couldn’t exactly place his finger on it.   
  
Everyone else crowded around them, making one big group. Eventually, they all sat down on the floor in a circle. Marco sat down with Jean resting his head on his lap. Armin sat next to Marco with Erwin right next to him, and then it was Hanji, Moblit, Levi, and Eren.  
  
“I think Levi’s the scariest person when mad,” Jean called out, waving his hand toward Levi’s general direction.  
  
Eren shrugged. “He probably is scary, but I feel like so is Erwin.”  
  
Moblit laughed. “They may both be scary when mad, but I believe the four of us believe that Hanji is the scariest when mad.”  
  
Levi nodded. “Never get on Hanji’s bad side.”  
  
“I don’t need flashbacks,” Erwin shuddered.  
  
“I think I’m fine,” Hanji nonchalantly said.   
  
“Three words, Hanji,” Moblit said as he turned to her. “Roof, Dangling, Danger.”

Hanji giggled. “Whoops, forgot about that time Nick pissed me off.”

“What the fuck?” Jean exclaimed, sitting up to stare at Hanji. “What do those three words imply?! Wait, never mind. I don’t think I want to know. I need another drink.”  
  
As Jean got up to grab himself another drink and Hanji vividly started describing what happened to Armin and Marco, Levi sighed.  
  
Eren turned to his boyfriend. “What’s up?”  
  
“This could have been a quadruple date,” Levi murmured before sipping his whiskey.  
  
“Quadruple date?”  
  
Levi nodded. “I’m almost certain Erwin and Armin have a mutual interest in each other. But nothing is progressing between them. And you know about Hanji and Moblit.”  
  
Eren paused for a bit before a grin popped on his face as he leaned into Levi.  
  
“You want to go on a quad date?” Eren teased. “Does it make you happy to see all your friends in love?”  
  
Levi stared at Eren. “Are you drunk?”  
  
Eren rolled his eyes as he held up his beer. “Haven’t even finished my first bottle. But this quad date.”  
  
Levi looked away from Eren. “It wouldn’t be bad, I guess. But I didn’t say anything.”  
  
Eren nodded as he finished up his beer, smiling. The thought of Levi wanting to go on a quad date with his friends really excited Eren and was quite adorable, actually. But in order to do that, he would have to actually get his friends together. And one can’t really force romance. Right?  
  
Well, it wouldn’t be forced if it was already planted. Just needed some watering, sunlight, and friends who care.   
  
Eren got up to get another beer as Hanji continued her story with Moblit and Erwin occasionally popping in. Jean was still in the kitchen, mindlessly eating food while scrolling on his phone.  
  
“Are you waiting for something?” Eren said as he opened the fridge to pull out a beer. He grabbed a bottle opener from the drawer and opened his beer before putting the cap and the opener away.  
  
Jean looked up from his phone before putting it away. “I’m waiting for my songs to pop up on the queue.”

Eren paused for a bit, brain thinking hard before he made a realization. “You don’t mean…”

Jean smirked. “I’ve been practicing, and you know this.”  
  
Eren groaned before taking a giant gulp of his beer. “I’m too sober to deal with that.”  
  
“Any stage of sobriety is enough to take in what’s going to happen next,” Jean said as he drank out of his cup.  
  
Marco walked up to them both, placing his empty beer bottle on the counter before wrapping his arms around Jean’s waist and placing his chin on his shoulder.   
  
“What are you both talking about?” Marco said as he snuggled against Jean’s cheek.  
  
“Jean’s queued songs,” Eren replied.  
  
Marco immediately let go of Jean and made his way to the fridge to grab two beer bottles. He came back and looked at Eren.  
  
“Can I use your counter to open the bottles?”  
  
Eren waved his hand. “Go for it.”  
  
Marco angled his beers and skillfully used the edge of the counter to open both beer bottles. He took a giant swig of his beer before looking at them.   
  
“I’m not drunk enough for that,” Marco said as he walked back to the living room.  
  
“Wait, are they done with the story?” Jean hollered out.  
  
“Yes!” Hanji said as she motioned Eren and Jean to come back.  
  
Eren made his way back to Levi’s side as Levi got up to refill his cup. He followed the shorter man to the kitchen and watched as Levi poured the whiskey into his class. Levi placed the bottle back down and looked up at Eren.  
  
“How are you doing?” asked Levi.  
  
“I’m enjoying myself,” Eren smiled.   
  
The music suddenly changed to an upbeat club mood, and Jean cheered loudly. Eren groaned and Levi questioningly looked at him before they both slowly turned to the living room where Jean had inserted himself in the middle of the room, knees bent with his hands on them as he lifted his face to the ceiling with pride while he shook his ass. Armin cheered for Jean as Marco chugged his beer. Hanji stood next to Jean, waving her arms around while Erwin and Moblit just sat and watched with confused eyes.

“What… is he doing?” Levi asked.

Eren sighed. “Twerking.”  
  
“...But why.”  
  
“Last year,” Eren started. “When we went to a club after the Gala, Jean got frustrated that he couldn’t shake his flat ass. But then someone at the club told him that he didn’t need an ass to shake his stuff. So every week, for four months, Marco, Armin, Jean, and I would eat dinner at Papa Arlet’s. Then, we would head back to my house for a movie or something and Jean would practice in front of us. It was fine at first, funny even. I got to see Jean make a fool out of himself and Marco had a good laugh. But then, to me at least, he got better at twerking.”  
  
Eren looked at Jean. “He’s pretty good now, which makes it not amusing to me. I think Marco got sick of it and gets random flashbacks to the intense practices Jean had. Armin, however, has always been supportive. Gave Jean honest critique and everything, despite him not being able to do it himself.”  
  
They both watched as Hanji got on one knee and Jean propped one foot on the other knee, arms raised up as he twerked. Hanji clapped her hands as Marco took a look inside both beers before getting up to go to the kitchen.  
  
“You have to admit,” Eren said as Marco approached them. “He got better.”  
  
Marco nodded. “Definitely. I’m proud of him, but I think all the nights he asked me to critique him before bed was enough.”  
  
Levi watched Jean move, slight jealousy running through his mind as he watched how easily Jean moved.  
  
The song finished and Jean and Hanji high-fived each other before sitting back down and finishing up their drinks. Marco helped them both get refills before opening a new beer bottle with his keys.  
  
As the three of them headed back to the living room, Erwin, Armin, and Moblit came by.  
  
“Well, that was quite a show,” Erwin said as he grabbed the bottle of whiskey.  
  
“He got so much better!” Armin gleefully said before grabbing a handful of chips. “I’m happy to see it.”

“Can’t believe he was that committed,” Moblit responded as he poured himself a drink.

“It’s rather impressive.”

“Hanji is a good hype person,” Armin said.   
  
Moblit smiled. “She really knows how to make someone feel good about themselves.”  
  
“Shots?” Eren asked the group. Hanji and Jean rushed back to the kitchen and Armin grabbed several shot glasses. Erwin, Marco, and Moblit declined. Levi shrugged.  
  
“Five shot glasses,” Armin sang as he placed them down on the counter. Hanji grabbed her bottle of rum and carefully poured it into each glass.  
  
She handed out the shot glasses and everyone held up their drinks in a circle.  
  
Hanji cleared her throat. “To a fun Gala! And to a new relationship, must I say.”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes while Erwin raised his cup higher. “To good times!”  
  
Everyone raised their drinks higher and cheered before drinking. Hanji, Jean, and Marco went back to the living room while everyone else stood in the kitchen.  
  
“So, Moblit,” Eren said, leaning against the counter while putting his arm around Levi’s waist. “What’s the stitch between you and Hanji?”  
  
Levi looked at Eren’s weird standing position before directing his attention to Moblit. He noticed Moblit’s slightly tinted red face, his eyes looking at the cup in his hand. Then, he looked at Hanji, who was talked to Jean and Marco about ideas for next year’s Gala.  
  
“We’re friends. I’d say this past year, we’ve gotten much closer as friends,” Moblit replied before looking up.   
  
Eren peered inside Moblit’s cup. “Want a refill?”  
  
Before Moblit could reply, Eren took his cup out of his hand and went to give him a refill. Armin looked at Moblit apologetically.  
  
“He’s tipsy,” explained Armin. “Did you actually want a refill?”  
  
Moblit nodded. “Yeah, it’s no worry at all.”  
  
Armin nodded back before going to help Eren refill Moblit’s cup. Moblit then turned to Erwin and Levi.  
  
“How does Hanji view me?” he asked, averting his eyes from the duo.  
  
“She doesn’t hate you,” Levi replied before getting a light slap from Erwin.

“What do you think?” Erwin asked back.  
  
Moblit shrugged. “I don’t know. I was just curious.”  
  
Eren handed Moblit his drink before shuffling his hair. “Can’t wait to go on our quad date!”  
  
“Let me get you some water,” Levi said as he grabbed Eren’s arm and dragged him away.  
  
Armin followed suit. “I should give everyone else some water too.”  
  
Erwin and Moblit were left alone.  
  
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Erwin said.   
  
Moblit blinked.  
  
“Regardless, you care about Hanji, right?”  
  
“Yeah,” Moblit replied.   
  
“Is there more to it?”  
  
Moblit paused for a bit, gathering his thoughts before shrugging. “Not sure yet. I feel that I have a bunch to think about before actually saying something.”  
  
Erwin nodded. “Interesting.”  
  
Moblit eyed the blond. “You’re suspicious.”  
  
“Am I?” Erwin asked before sipping on his whiskey. “Interesting.”  
  
“...Is anyone on your wavelength of thinking?”  
  
Erwin’s eyes twinkled. “I can think of one person.”  
  
The gathering calmed down quicker than Levi thought. Hanji and Jean passed out on the living room floor. Marco, in his drunken state, tried to help clean up all the snacks on the counter. Armin helped by eating some more snacks before slowly feeling himself go into a food coma.   
  
Moblit turned Hanji and Jean on their sides with a trash can between them. He then helped Erwin pick up any remaining messes in the living room. Levi wiped down the surfaces while Eren joined Armin with his eating journey.   
  
Armin was slowly shoving cookies in his mouth, not quite chewing or swallowing while Eren excitedly overloading the dip on his chips before shoving them in his mouth. Marco watched Armin eat before taking the food out of his mouth and putting them in the trash.  
  
The apartment was spotless after an hour of cleaning. Levi thanked the Gods that he made everyone shower and clean themselves before coming over. He made everyone who was still conscious brush their teeth before settling in the living room. Erwin and Moblit were on the couch with the recliner pulled out, in the blink of falling asleep. Marco laid down next to Jean, slowly falling asleep himself, and Armin stood in the kitchen with Levi and Eren.  
  
Armin watched as Eren wrapped his arms around Levi’s waist and rested his head on his shoulder.  
  
“Anything else I can do to help?” Armin asked.   
  
Levi shook his head. “No, thank you for your help.”  
  
“Arminmin,” Eren said. “You can sleep in my room if you want.”  
  
Armin laughed as he patted Eren’s head. “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’m going to crash on the recliner, in case someone needs something and Erwin and Moblit aren’t awake enough to do it.”  
  
“You sure?” The brunet asked, pouting at his best friend.  
  
“Yeah, no worries,” Armin replied. “You two should go to sleep now. It’s 2 in the morning.”  
  
“Levi,” Eren said as he nuzzled against Levi’s neck. “Let’s go sleep. I’m sleeping in your room tonight.”  
  
“Let’s go,” Levi said before turning to Armin. “Don’t hesitate to knock if you need anything.”  
  
Armin nodded before going to the living room to do one final check on everyone. Levi walked into his room with Eren following, still holding on to Levi’s waist.  
  
They made their way to the bed. Captain greeted them with a meow before laying down at the edge of the bed. Eren slowly climbed in before extending his arms out for Levi. With a sigh - and then a smile - Levi got in bed and scooted closer to his boyfriend.  
  
“Hey, Levi?”  
  
“Mm?”  
  
“What should we do tomorrow?”

“Do you want to cook breakfast for everyone? Or shove us all to Armin’s grandfather’s?”

“Cinnamon roll…” Eren murmured. “Let’s go to Papa.”  
  
Levi turned and looked at Eren, with his eyes closed and moonlight beaming on his face. He smiled at the sight.  
  
“Sounds good,” Levi said before gently kissing Eren’s temple and going to sleep himself.  
  
A few hours later, Eren felt the bed move a little bit. He sleepily scooted himself over, wrapping his arms around Levi as Levi pressed his face against Eren’s chest.  
  
“Marco…” a voice behind him groggily said.  
  
“Not Marco...,” Eren replied, wondering why Levi would ask for Marco.  
  
“Oh… Can I stay here anyway? I don’t know my way around.”  
  
Eren, slightly more awake, turned his head to see Jean fast asleep next to him. Nothing was in his brain before Eren decided to turn back to Levi and go back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Happy (early) Valentine's day and Happy Lunar New Year! Wishing you all the best!!
> 
> I had some super bad writer's block so I'm sorry about that. A lot has been happening lately but thank you all for still sticking around, hehe. I appreciate each and every one of you all <3


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience!!

Levi leaned into Eren’s warmth as he felt himself wake up a bit. He let out a small yawn before turning to his nightstand and checking his phone, seeing that it was 7AM. With a small sigh, he turned back around to Eren and snuggled closer to him. He let his fingertips gently outline Eren’s side, from Eren’s waist down to his hips.

He leaned forward, about to place a small kiss on Eren’s nose when he heard a quiet groan. Blinking, Levi pulled back a bit to see Eren not moving at all. 

The groan happened again, and Levi was completely positive that Eren had not made any noise. With hesitation, Levi slowly sat up to look around the room. He eventually turned to Eren, but then saw some blond hair peeking out. Leaning a bit over Eren, Levi widened his eyes as he spotted Jean facing away from the two, his head with no pillow and his arms hugging a pillow.

Levi got out of bed, stretched for a bit, and turned around to look at Jean and Eren asleep on his bed. He decided that he’d just leave them there. Before he walked out of his room, he decided to pick up Captain, who was sleeping at the foot of the bed. Levi placed the black cat between the two men.

They stared at each other. Levi nodded at his cat.

_ Protect. _

Captain blinked before making himself comfortable and falling back asleep. Levi left his room quietly to go to the bathroom. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he walked into the main area. Hanji and Marco were still on the floor, fast asleep. Moblit had made himself comfortable on the couch, slightly leaning into Erwin while snoring away. Erwin was still asleep himself.

Levi turned to the recliner, where Armin had cuddled up in a blanket. He was awake, scrolling through his phone before noticing Levi.

Armin waved at the man and slowly got up to head to the bathroom to wash up himself.

Levi lifted his hand before heading to the kitchen to brew some coffee for everyone. Coffee sounded good to him. 

While the coffee started brewing, Levi looked around the apartment to make sure that nothing was out of place before leaning against the countertop. Armin left the bathroom and walked up to Levi.

“Good morning,” whispered the blond.

“Morning,” Levi replied, embracing the smell of coffee that was surrounding them. “Sleep okay?”

Armin nodded. “Where’s Jean?”

Levi grimaced. “In my room. He must’ve sleepwalked into there or something.”

“Sounds about right,” Armin said. “I checked Eren’s room and he wasn’t there. Jean used to sleepwalk a bunch, but it only occurs once a while.”

Levi nodded as he went to the cabinet full of mugs. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

“Me, too,” replied a very deep voice. Levi turned to see Erwin awake, rubbing his eyes.

“Wash up before I give you your coffee,” Levi demanded.

Erwin nodded as he shuffled to the bathroom. Levi took out three mugs and filled up two of them. He handed a cup to Armin.

“Um, I’ll wait for the mug to cool down first,” Armin said.

Levi nodded. “You know where the sugar and creamer are, right?”

Armin nodded as he grabbed the vanilla creamer from the fridge. He added roughly a tablespoon of creamer and one spoonful of sugar. Levi watched Armin, accepting how he took his coffee. Taking a deep whiff of his coffee, Levi took his first sip. He then watched Erwin as he walked into the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee before adding four spoonfuls of sugar.

“That is a lot of sugar,” Armin said.

“Erwin is the kind of person to make it seem like he drinks black coffee to appear sophisticated and everything, but adds a shit ton of sugar because he truthfully cannot handle it,” Levi commented.

“It’s weird because Levi has a sweeter tooth than me,” Erwin said. “But leaves his tea and coffee plain.”

“Pure,” Levi corrected. 

Erwin rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Did you two sleep well?”

“I slept fine,” Armin said.

“Jean slept-walked into my room,” Levi said. “I just kind of left him there with Captain and Eren.”

“Is that…” Erwin started.

“Normal, indeed,” Armin said before taking a sip of his coffee. They heard some stirring on the couch and directed their attention to Moblit, who sat up and stretched his arms. He waved at the gentlemen before standing up and making his way to the bathroom.

“Should we start waking everyone up?” Armin asked.

Levi checked the time. “It’s only 7:30AM. I wouldn’t rush.”

“The plan was to go to your grandfather’s, right?” Erwin asked the smaller blond.

Armin nodded.

A comfortable silence fell upon the trio as they took in their morning coffee before Moblit came to the kitchen. Levi silently filled him a cup of coffee and handed it to him. With a nod of gratitude, Moblit took the cup and took a sniff before taking a small sip.

“You all are up early,” Moblit commented after a few minutes.

“I’m an early riser,” Armin said. “No matter what. But I may end up taking a nap later today.”

“My body does its own thing,” Erwin replied.

“I don’t sleep normally,” Levi stated.

Moblit took another sip of coffee before looking at the living room. Hanji had spread herself out like a starfish while Marco curled up into a ball. Moblit was about to say something when everyone heard a door open, the sound of feet shuffling across the floor growing slightly louder.

Jean, with his messy bedhead, dragged himself to the main area. Captain followed him before settling on the couch where Moblit was previously. With an unreadable expression, Jean glanced at everyone in the kitchen before turning to the floor and lowering himself next to Marco before going to sleep.

Erwin looked over to Armin.

“Normal,” Armin assured.

“Weird,” Levi commented.

Another moment of comfortable silence filled the kitchen as they embraced the morning coffee. Levi got Captain his breakfast as Captain pranced over to his food bowl.

“You look so domestic,” Erwin said as Levi placed the food container away.

“You look like shit,” Levi retorted.

“I can’t wait for Mikasa to meet you,” Armin said before refilling his cup of coffee. “She has disliked all of Eren’s past partners.”

Levi hesitated for a bit. 

“But Levi’s different, right?” Moblit said quickly, looking back and forth between Levi and Armin.

“Is he the shortest?” Erwin joked, earning a punch to his arm.

“He’s not the shortest,” Armin began. “But he’s the most monotoned.”

“Monotoned?” Levi repeated.

The blond nodded. “Your whole demeanor seems very stoic. At first. Obviously, the more I get to know you, the more dynamic you become. But your first impression is up to par with Mikasa’s. I want to compare your auras when you two meet.”

“You act like you can actually see auras,” Moblit snickered.

Armin waved his hand. “It’s not literally. But anyway, I think you shouldn’t worry.”

“I’m going to worry,” Levi deadpanned.

“Well don’t.”

“Easier said than done.”

“Besides,” Moblit chimed in. “It’s ultimately a relationship between you and Eren.”

Levi nodded. “So when are the three of you going to introduce me to your significant others?”

“Oh, please,” Erwin chuckled. “Moblit, you have an interest, right?”

“Do you have a timeline?” Armin questioned.

“Do you have life insurance?” Levi followed.

“Wha- Life insurance?” Moblit asked with a confused look. “Why would I need that?”

He took a sip of his coffee. “I’m not admitting anything. Mainly because you all are too nosy for your own good.”

Moblit pointed to Erwin. “You are a gossip queen.”

He pointed to Levi next. “You like gossip more than you let on.”

Then, he pointed to Armin. “You… I trust you the most out of everyone here. But only by a little. I feel like you thrive on the gossip.”

Armin shrugged. “I like knowing things.”

“We have been friends for over 10 years,” Erwin stated. “How could you have more trust in Armin, someone you just met, over Levi and I?”

“Do not put me in the same category as Erwin,” Levi said. “And I am very, very trustworthy.”

“You’re trustworthy, but you’re really fucking nosy,” Moblit glared. “You’ll play it off, trying to be all smooth and everything and acting like you don’t care. Then all of a sudden, you connect the pieces together and try to take matters into your own hands. And then Erwin gets involved because Erwin loves to create plans. And Erwin somehow knows how to get information, so I have decided that starting now, I’m going to be extra cautious.”

Levi huffed in his coffee mug. 

Erwin looked away.

Right at the moment, a door opened. Eren walked out of Levi’s room and headed over to the main area to take a peek at the commotion. He waved at everyone before heading to the bathroom to wash up. 

“Looks like Levi’s lover is awake,” Erwin snorted. 

“Your comments are not funny.”

As Erwin and Levi quietly bickered, Armin and Moblit turned to each other.

“You know, it has honestly been a while since I’ve seen Levi so…” Moblit started.

“So…” Armin repeated.

“Like, he’s a bit different now. It’s quite nice to see. I’d like to think it’s because of Eren.”

Armin chuckled. “I had a similar talk with Erwin. I also believe Eren is a tad different. In a good way, of course. And due to Levi.”

“What about Levi?” Eren said as he walked up to them with Captain cradled in his arms.

“We’re just talking about how you changed with Levi,” Armin said.

Eren furrowed his eyebrows. “I don’t think I changed that much.”

“Not too much, but you must admit that your life feels a bit happier.”

Eren nuzzled his cheek against Captain’s fur. “It does.”

“So fucking cheesy,” Armin said.

“I was just agreeing with you,” Eren said before sticking his tongue out at his best friend.

“How did you sleep?” Levi asked as he walked up to Eren, reaching out to scratch behind Captain’s ear.

“Domestic,” Erwin said.

Levi sighed. 

“I slept well,” Eren said. “I saw that Jean was asleep next to me at one point, I think.”

“He was,” Levi said.

“You’re going to clean your sheets later, aren’t you?”

“Yep.”

Armin smiled before engaging in a conversation with Moblit and Erwin. He watched as Levi raised his cup at Eren. Eren placed down Captain, who trotted to Moblit for him to be picked up, before grabbing Levi’s cup and walking over to the coffee machine. Levi followed, placing his hand on Eren’s lower back. The two talked quietly among themselves, and Armin spotted a soft smile on Levi after Eren nudged him with his shoulder. 

It was 8:30AM. By that time, Marco had woken up, joining the coffee crew. Jean and Hanji were woken up by Levi, who demanded that they wash up. After many complaints, they did so but then went back to sleep on the couch, Jean on the recliner while Hanji on the loveseat.

“What does everyone have planned for today?” Marco asked as he swirled his coffee a little bit.

“Actually,” Armin spoke out. “My grandfather needs some help today in the cafe if anyone is willing. I can pay you. Sasha and Connie are there, but I feel like Pops is still a bit tired from yesterday. A few people called out too.”

“I think we can count Jean and Hanji out,” Moblit chuckled. “But I’m willing to help out. I worked at a cafe for a bit during school. There's no need to pay me.”

"You sure?" Armin asked. Moblit nodded.

“I’ll help, too,” Eren said. “Gotta do it for the Gramps.”

“Alright, we have myself and two people. I believe that should be enough!” Armin cheered. 

“Would it still be okay if I worked in the cafe though?” Levi said. “Last time was great for me.”

Armin nodded. “As long as there’s a table!”

“I’ll join you,” Erwin said. 

“It honestly sounds fun,” Marco said. “Maybe I’ll stop by my house to grab my laptop and work on some stuff.”

“Are you sure you’re not going to play games?” Eren teased. 

Marco started to scold Eren before closing his mouth and thinking for a bit. “I will refrain from saying anything. Anyway, is it cool with you and Levi if I stay behind to watch Hanji and Jean? We can meet up later.”

Eren nodded. “I’ll give you my key.”

They all dispersed. Eren and Armin went into Eren’s room to change, Levi and Erwin in Levi’s room and Moblit looked through his overnight bag for his spare clothes.

Armin went through Eren’s closet to take out some clothing items that he had left behind for situations like these. He pulled out a pair of dark grey long khakis and a white button-up shirt, changing into them and rolling up his sleeves.

“Do you have a belt I can borrow?” Armin asked.

Eren looked at Armin’s attire before going into his closet to pull out a brown belt. He handed it to Armin before grabbing a black button-up shirt and some black jeans. Armin made a comment about how their attire almost resembled yin and yang, earning a laugh from both of them.

Armin plopped on the bed. “I want Hanji and Moblit to get together.”

Eren sat down next to Armin. “Are you going to develop some plan?”

“I don’t know,” Armin said. “I think I’m going to wait for Moblit to approach me.”

“Not Hanji?”

“Hanji needs to recognize her own feelings first.”

“So you’re sitting out on this one for now?” Eren asked.

Armin nodded. “For the most part, it’s not my business. I don’t wanna try to insert myself in the situation but if one of them asks for something, I’m gonna try to do it.”

The door opened and Levi and Erwin walked in. Levi wore a casual white button-up and black khakis while Erwin wore a plain dark green t-shirt and jeans.

“What are you brats talking about?” Levi asked as he stood in front of Eren.

“Hanji and Moblit.”

“Interesting,” Levi said, grabbing Eren’s hand and moving it side to side. “What about it?”

Armin laughed at the sight of Levi pretending to not be too interested. “I was telling Eren how I would stay out of their business unless one of them asks me to help them.”

“How kind of you, Armin,” Erwin said. 

“You should do the same,” Armin remarked. 

The older blond sighed.

Minutes later, Eren handed Marco his key as the rest of them left to go to the cafe. Erwin left to go stop by his apartment to pick up stuff. The cafe was a tad busy, but Levi managed to find a table to save for Erwin, Hanji, Marco, and Jean. Moblit, Armin, and Eren went to the back to put on some aprons and get to work. 

Sasha, Connie, and Moblit were working behind the register while Armin and Eren started handing out meals and other foods to customers. When the workers started settling, Erwin walked through the door and found Levi near a window.

“Good morning,” Erwin greeted as he sat down next to Levi. 

Levi nodded as he replied to an email. Erwin pulled out his laptop and a small journal to start jotting down some notes for his lectures for the rest of the week.

“Hi!” piped up Armin as he approached the table. Erwin looked up from his notes and smiled.

“Hello,” he replied.

“Hi!” Armin said as Eren walked up to the table.

“Hey!” Eren greeted Erwin before walking up behind Levi, handing him a vanilla bean scone. “Here’s your scone. Do you want another refill of tea?”

Levi nodded as Eren smiled and walked back to the barista area. Erwin asked Armin for a recommendation before he got up and headed to the register to pay. As Armin went to tend to other customers, Marco, Jean, and Hanji stumbled into the cafe.

They looked around before landing their sight on the raven-haired man typing away on his laptop and Erwin walking over to the table. As the three of them approached the table, Levi looked up.

Marco sat across Levi, placing down a bag between him and Jean, who sat next to him. Hanji placed herself at the head of the table, putting her laptop and some paperwork down. Jean pulled out a sketchpad and some drawing utensils while Marco took out his laptop.

“What are you three working on today?” Erwin asked.

“Sketching with a pen,” Jean spoke up.

“Working on a new publication,” Hanji replied.

“I should be planning for the week,” Marco said as he opened his laptop. “But I’m going to play Stardew Valley for a bit.”

“I’ll get something to eat for breakfast,” Jean said as he got up. “What do you want, babe?”

“Do they have apple turnovers?” Marco asked. “Cause I’ll take that. With a chai latte.”

“I’ll go with you, Jean,” Hanji said as she stood up. “I need a cinnamon roll.”

As Hanji and Jean left, Erwin turned to Levi. 

“Have you and Eren gone on an actual date yet? Like, as boyfriend and boyfriend?”

Marco looked up from his screen to look at Levi, who continued typing on his laptop before looking at the both of them and shrugging.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you have your own shit to do?”

“Don’t you have a date to plan?”

Levi sighed. “I’m not good at this shit. I feel like Eren planned most of everything we do.”

“Which is why you need to plan the first official date,” Marco said as he started up his game. “What’s something that you and Eren like?”

“Drinking tea,” Levi thought out loud. “Eating. Watching shows.”

“Sounds like you two need a hobby to do together,” Erwin said. “I know you guys are just starting to date, but don’t bore it out quick.”

“Why would I take relationship advice from you?” Levi eyed Erwin.

“I kind of agree with him,” Marco said, earning Levi’s attention and Erwin’s smile. “As someone who has been in a relationship for years. It’s nice that you two are enjoying each other’s presence and everything, but I would suggest just thinking about something to do together.”

Levi thought to himself. He and Eren shared a few similar interests, but it was more like the natural chemistry that drew them together. Not necessarily a hobby of some sort. He also agreed that he should plan out the next date.

Jean came back with Marco’s food. “Hanji’s chatting it up with Moblit over there.”

Everyone turned to see Hanji waving her arms around as she excitedly talked to Moblit, who smiled as he wiped down the counter. Eren eyed Hanji weirdly as Armin, Connie, and Sasha laughed at the sight. He then walked over to his friends’ table with a cup of tea in his hand.

“Hanji’s so energetic sometimes. I honestly thought she would have a hangover. Sorry I’m late, I got distracted,” Eren said as he placed the cup down next to Levi’s laptop and gently placed his hand on Levi’s shoulder. Levi leaned a bit against Eren’s arm.

“She didn’t throw up this year though,” Marco said, earning a shudder from Jean and Eren.

“That, she thankfully didn’t,” Jean said as he opened his sketchbook. “Why aren’t you working, Jaeger?”

Eren rolled his eyes. “I can’t talk to my friends and my boyfriend for a bit?”

“I’m your friend?” Jean cooed.

“Fuck you.”

Armin walked over with a cup of hazelnut coffee and a few mini quiches. “Erwin, here is your cup of coffee and your spinach and cheese, sausage, and bacon quiches. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Armin,” Erwin beamed as he smiled at the blond. 

Armin smiled back before he turned around to see Hanji holding up the line and Moblit looking nervous. “Oh, fuck, Hanji.”

As Armin quickly ushered Hanji out of the way, the table exploded into laughter. Hanji walked back with her head down before sitting down in her seat.

“Lover boy got you captivated for too long?” Levi teased.

“You guys suck,” Hanji pouted before returning to her work. Erwin patted her shoulder, earning a small smile from her before everyone resumed to their work. Eren walked back to help out another customer.

“You didn’t deny that he was lover boy,” Jean pointed out.

“You talk too much,” Hanji rolled her eyes as she continued working. Everyone else exchanged looks with each other.

Moblit came by the table later with Hanji’s cinnamon roll. “Here’s your cinnamon roll.”

Hanji beamed as she grabbed the plate out of Moblit’s hand. “Thank you! Are you taking a break any time soon?”

Moblit checked his watch. “Maybe a little bit after lunchtime?”

The day went on. Lunch was fairly busy, with the staff taking turns eating lunch. Armin was the last to eat lunch around 2PM, to Erwin’s disapproval.

“I’m fine,” Armin repeated as Erwin looked at him.

“Are you sure?”

Armin laughed. “You’re so sweet, but don’t worry! It may be a light lunch, but my grandfather is planning on closing the cafe a bit early to give you dinner if you guys want!”

Everyone agreed and continued to do their own thing until dinner time came around. Papa Arlet left the back to ask everyone to clean up around the cafe while pulling Eren and Armin to the kitchen.

Sasha wiped the windows. “I wonder what they’re cooking tonight.”

“I saw pasta,” Connie said. “Makes sense, since pasta is easy to make in large portions.”

Fast forward, most of the tables and chairs were put away, given a few tables. Everyone sat down together, enjoying pasta primavera with meatballs on the side.

Sasha frowned as she looked at Eren. “And you didn’t think to tell me? About your relationship?”

Armin chuckled. “Calm down, they didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Well…” Eren started.

“Hanji found out literally yesterday,” Levi said. 

“So who knows?” Connie asked before shoving a meatball in his mouth.

Eren shrugged. “Not sure. I think everyone in our friend group knows. Reiner texted me earlier today during my break congrats on the relationship. He followed up with a picture of him and Bert giving a thumbs up. And Mikasa knows, so Annie probably knows too.”

“Have you told Isabel and Farlan yet?” Erwin asked Levi.

Levi shook his head. “I’ll get around to it soon.”

“Who asked who?” Connie asked.

“I did,” Levi said. 

“Did you guys… hehe,” Sasha started giggling as she looked at the couple.

“I’m not answering that,” Eren groaned as he ate some pasta.

“I can never get over your food!” Hanji cheered as she looked at Papa Arlet. “Never retire.”

Papa Arlet chuckled. “We’ll see about that. I won’t be able to work as much as I want later though, so I do have to plan that.”

The whole table continued to eat quietly, enjoying the crunch of the fresh vegetables in the pasta dish. 

Armin spoke up. “I’ll help out with the cafe. Family business, you know?”

A chorus of agreements went around the tables. 

“To be honest, all of us could manage it,” Eren smiled. “This cafe has been an important part of our lives and I don’t think any of us want to see it gone any time soon.”

“It won’t be hard!” Sasha said. “We’ll take turns and everything. We’re adults.”

Papa Arlet looked at everyone’s smiles around the table. “You all…”

“Of course, think about it,” Eren quickly said. “No pressure. We’re also not trying to kick you out of your own business.”

Papa Arlet laughed. “Thank you, all. You’re all good kids.”

“Adults,” Eren said, receiving an eye roll from the elder before the table burst into laughter.

Everyone finished eating and helped clean up the cafe to prepare it for opening the next day. They said their “see you laters” before heading back to their respective homes. 

Eren and Levi went back home, preparing for the next day. They took their own showers and sat together on the couches with their laptops opened, Captain between their thighs.

“It was really nice of Moblit himself to want to help out in the cafe,” Eren said. 

Levi nodded. “He’s a good man.”

Eren thought for a moment before finalizing some notes and closing his laptop. He got up to put his laptop away before lifting Captain onto his lap and resting his head against Levi’s shoulder.

“He is a good man. I think he’d be good for Hanji, too.”

“The man has so much patience that I could never attain,” Levi said.

Eren nodded as he watched Levi email some people before closing his laptop. Levi placed it on the coffee table before putting his arm around Eren and giving him a forehead kiss.

“You’re a good man,” Levi said. “For me.”

Eren looked away from Levi, face turning hot as he looked at Captain. It was amazing how they had been dating for so little time but Levi made him go crazy.

“Are you ready for classes tomorrow?” Eren asked, the shyness getting the best of him.

Levi laughed as he stroked Eren’s hair. “Yeah, I am going to give my students a prompt to write about.”

Eren sat up and looked at Levi. “What prompt?”

“Gotta think about it,” Levi said as he looked at Eren. 

Eren looked at his boyfriend before slowly taking his hand, bringing it up to his lips for a kiss. Levi’s face started to heat up as Eren smiled brightly. 

“I had a great time this weekend,” Eren whispered as he scooted closer to Levi. Levi could smell the minty scent from Eren’s mouth. “It was wonderful to see you dressed so nice and dance with you. No doubt were you the most stunning person in the Gala.”

Levi choked. “D-don’t say things like that!”

Eren grabbed Levi’s waist and pulled him. Their positions changed so that Eren was sitting up with his legs on the couch, Levi on top of his lap. He was straddling Eren, his hands grabbed onto Eren’s shoulders for support. Captain hopped off the couch before he could get squished.

“But it’s true,” Eren said, eyes staring right into Levi’s. “In my eyes, at least.”

“You’re so embarrassing,” Levi murmured as he covered his face. 

Eren let out a gasp. “I can’t compliment my boyfriend?!”

“I’m not used to this,” Levi said as Eren pried his hands off his face. Eren placed Levi’s fingers carefully on his neck, where Levi could feel Eren’s pulse.

“I’m not either,” Eren admitted, looking away from Levi. “I’m very nervous.”

Levi looked at his shy boyfriend, feeling the rate of Eren’s heart before he slid his hand up to cup Eren’s face, making him turn to him. They looked at each other before Levi slowly leaned in, pressing his lips gently against Eren’s. Eren processed what was happening before kissing back. He wrapped his arms around Levi’s waist as they continued kissing before Levi hesitantly nibbled on Eren’s bottom lip.

Eren let out a groan before he froze, embarrassed by his sound. Levi cocked his eyebrow.

“Don’t stop,” Levi said, his voice lowering an octave. “I liked that.”

He kissed Eren back with more intensity, pushing his tongue in Eren’s mouth, which Eren allowed willingly. Eren tightened his grip on Levi’s waist before lowering one hand down to his ass, giving it a nice squeeze. Levi moaned at the touch and Eren immediately felt a huge rush of heat go down to his lower region.

“Fuck,” Eren breathed out as he squeezed Levi’s ass again. 

Levi groaned as he pressed his hips against Eren, their kiss slowly becoming sloppy. He trailed his hand down from Eren’s cheek down to Eren’s stomach. He let his hand rest there gently as he breathed heavily against Eren’s lips. 

Levi was about to move his hand down to the seams of Eren’s pants when he suddenly felt a weight on him. He paused, making Eren paused. They pulled apart and Eren laughed as he saw some black fluff peeking out from Levi’s back.

Captain jumped strategically between Eren and Levi, staring at them both.

“Hello,” Levi said. 

The cat meowed before jumping off the couch and heading to Levi’s room.

Levi and Eren stared at each other. 

Eren spoke first. “I enjoyed that.”

“Me too,” replied Levi. “I think that was a good and bad stopping spot. I don’t think I’m actually ready to go further yet.”

“Says the guy who was about to shove his hand down my pants,” Eren teased. 

Levi lightly hit Eren’s chest. “I was just going to rest my hands there, I swear.”

They burst out into laughter, deciding to sleep separately for the night.

The next day, Levi stood at the front of his classroom.

“Alright,” Levi announced, gathering his students’ attention.

“I’m going to give you a prompt. No questions. You have 20 minutes to write. If you choose to write it out on paper, hand it to me after class. Otherwise, email it to me. This is for me to see your creativity and get to know your style and interpretation.”

The class nodded in agreement as Levi leaned against the board and crossed his arms.

“You started dating someone. Not too long. Maybe a week. You’re shit with romance but want to give them a very nice fun date. You haven’t planned a date in years but you don’t want to fuck up. You want to explore fun interests with them, too.”

Levi looked at his watch. “Start now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy hehe


End file.
